Midsummer Tragedy
by TheCartoonFanatic01
Summary: On July 16, 2015, four gunmen assaulted the annual Mid-Summer's Festival, injuring and/or killing numerous people. As Danville makes a dark, haunting transitioning into a media circus, we look into the lives of Phineas, Ferb, and the gang before, during, and after the tragedy and see how one day changed their lives forever. WARNING: Many character deaths in several chapters!
1. Prologue: Part I

**A/N:** Hey, everyone! Welcome to that massacre fic I mentioned in my Author's Note of "Evil Phineas Trilogy: Book 1: Dark Rising"! I would like to thank everyone who has supported me in my decision to post this fic despite the serious subject and I hope this is well-written enough to help everyone overlook the dark subject matter and consider the morality I intend to offer from this story. So, I hope you all ENJOY! Hopefully none of the material isn't offensive.

This story is dedicated to the victims of senseless gun violence and their families. A special part of this dedication goes to the victims of the shooting at the Aurora theater and their families. May all of those innocent people, whose lives were tragically cut short by a crazed, troubled soul, rest in peace.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own "Phineas and Ferb"! All rights of ownership go to Dan Povenmire, Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, and the talented team at Disney.

* * *

_"It has been said that time heals all wounds. I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens, but it is never gone." _-Rose Kennedy

* * *

_**No POV**_

The scene at the Mid-Summer's Festival, joyous and upbeat just nearly an hour ago, now resembled that of a war zone. SWAT units escorted a line of civilians out of the festival and checked them to see if they have any concealed firearms. People of all ages who were coming out from the festival rushed into the crowd of onlooking pedestrians and into the arms of their relatives. Police officers and SWAT units positioned themselves at all entrances and exits of the festival, their guns ready as two helicopters flew above them, one chopper belonging to the local police, the other belonging to a news station.

Another line of civilians came out of the festival, their arms up as officers searched them for any hidden weapons. When everyone was cleared, the civilians ran towards the crowd of onlookers, tears cascading down from the eyes of some, looks of relief on the faces of others.

Panting as he ran, Phineas instantly recognized Linda and Lawrence in the sea of rejoicing families and worried onlookers and practically collided with Linda as they hugged. Lawrence joined in on the hug too, both parents sobbing with enormous relief and happiness as they held her son.

"Phineas, I'm SO glad you're okay!" Linda sobbed. She then let go of her son and looked at him from head to toe. "You're not hurt, are you?" Phineas shook his head. "Oh, thank God you're okay!"

"Are Ferb and Candace still in there?" asked Lawrence.

"I-I don't k-know," Phineas replied, panting fearfully. "I-I lost F-Ferb as we r-ran, and Ca-Candace...I'm n-not sure..."

"PHINEAS!"

Phineas, Linda, and Lawrence turned around to see Vivian Garcia-Shapiro moved her way through the crowd towards them. Tears were falling from her eyes.

"D-Did you see Is-Isabella anywhere, Phineas?" Vivian said, trying to prevent herself from crying.

"N-No. S-She w-went to the ba-bathroom b-before it...it-"

Phineas couldn't bring himself to complete the sentence. Linda and Lawrence enveloped him in another hug, while Vivian's jaw dropped open and she stared at the main entrance of the Mid-Summer's Festival with a mixture of fear and hope. Everyone watched as more survivors continued to flow out of the festival. As they came, some had stains of crimson on their shirts, and one person eventually threw up at the graphic sight.

Finally, as yet another line of survivors rushed out of the festival, Phineas recognized one of them.

"ADYSON!" he called. "ADYSON, OVER HERE!" The former Fireside Girl spotted Phineas, Linda, Lawrence, and Vivian and ran to them. That was when they noticed there was a lot of blood on her, someone else's blood. Her green eyes were wide with fear, and her face was extremely pale.

"Do you know what happened to the others?" Phineas asked.

Adyson didn't respond. Her lip was trembling.

"Adyson? Do you know what happened to the others?" asked Phineas again.

Adyson's eyes began to water. Phineas soon feared the worst.

"Who got shot, Adyson? Which of our friends _got shot_?"

Adyson couldn't bring herself to respond. Phineas snapped, seized Adyson's shirt, and shook her roughly.

"TELL ME, ADYSON! DID ANY OF OUR FRIENDS GET **SHOT**?" Phineas demanded as Linda and Lawrence pulled him away from Adyson, who was now starting to cry.

Finally, she replied, "I-I saw it a-all! A-All of it!"

Vivian approached Adyson and put a hand on her shoulder. "Adyson?" she asked. "Is Isabella okay?"

Adyson looked up at Vivian, then broke down completely. Vivian's face paled as she realized the truth.

"No...no..." Vivian whispered. She then fell on her knees and screamed with anguish, "ISABELLA! NO, ISABELLA, _MI HIJA_!"

Phineas felt the world collapse all around him.

* * *

**A/N:** Did you enjoy this prologue? I hope so. We've just touched the surface of the story, and now we're about to delve deeper in following chapters. Hopefully this has enough juice to lift off of the ground. I'd really like to work on something other than "Evil Phineas" for a bit; working on that story alone has become redundant and I just wanna do something new for now.

Hope you enjoyed this prologue if you could! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	2. One Hour Earlier

**A/N:** A little note here, if any sentences are enclosed in parentheses, then that means someone's speaking in a foreign language. Example: (Read this).

ENJOY!

* * *

**ONE HOUR EARLIER...**

* * *

_**Phineas's POV**_

Candace parked her sedan in a vacant space of the parking lot and stepped out of her car quite quickly. Ferb and I followed her out into the parking lot and into the Mid-Summer's Festival. There, we were ceremoniously greeted with the sounds of joyous laughter, circus animal roars, old-fashioned yet catchy carnival music, and a variety of games being played for everyone's amusement. Ah yes, this was my idea of heaven. Just having fun, celebrating summer, and not giving a care in the world. And we planned to make everything better with our newest invention, a course where one has to do all of the carnival games to get through, like ring toss and darts.

"You have the suitcase, Ferb?" I questioned my stepbrother as Candace walked off to find Jeremy. He nodded, being as silent as ever as he lifted up the small suitcase that stored our latest piece of art. "Great! Let's find a place to set up!"

"Hey, Phineas!" called an all-too-familiar voice. "Whatcha doin'?"

I turned around and saw an _angel_ walking towards me.

Actually, it wasn't an angel, it's my longtime friend and neighbor Isabella Garcia-Shapiro. But for years I've always thought she'd be perfect as an angel, maybe even better than that. Her shiny raven-black hair, her eyes with sparkling sapphires as pupils, her lovely choice of purple clothing, the way she seemed to glide as she walked...

Wanna hear a secret? Ever since we were little children, ever since we first met, I've had a _crush_ on Isabella. A crush that always drove me bonkers. But I never admitted my love to her. I didn't even know I had such feelings until a couple of years ago, when Isabella hit puberty and she became more a woman than a girl. I'm afraid to see what her reaction is, and I feel I'm a bit too young to handle a romantic relationship. Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm fifteen years old, making me perfectly able to handle a relationship. But I don't know; I feel so _nervous_. I've never even told _anyone_ about this big secret of mine, not even Ferb, whom I always confide to whenever I have something sensitive to tell.

And now I feel like I'm pushing it. Ever since she entered high school, Isabella's always getting hit on by practically all of the boys at school. Nerds, jocks, the popular crowd, the loser crowd...heck, I sometimes think _our Geometry teacher_ likes her, creepy. If I keep this up, some loser boy's gonna get her interest and I'll be left alone and single...

"Hey, where's Perry?" Isabella suddenly asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

"He's back at home," I replied, trying to keep a straight face as I looked into her beautiful eyes.

Oh, how I wished she knew how I felt about her...

* * *

_**Candace's POV**_

I immediately saw the Slushy Burger stand where Jeremy said he'd be working at, in the festival's food court, and waved at the cute blond-haired man that was my boyfriend, who was handing a tray of food to a family of four as the two children clapped with excitement. Jeremy ruffled the hair of one of the children before spotting me and waving back. I approached him, smiling a smile that I felt was ridiculous. He didn't seem to mind, because we kissed without a doubt.

"Hey, Candace, ready for our date?" he asked.

"You betcha!" I replied, giggling almost maniacally. I know I act like a fool around my boyfriend, but I can't help it; he's _so_ hot! "Where's the table?"

Jeremy gestured me to a well-cleaned table in the food court, and I sat down on the chairs while he walked up to another food stand to order our food. I watched him talk to the clerk, and for some reason, the two looked friendly to one another despite the fact that the clerk didn't look like any of Jeremy's friends. What made things more strange was that the clerk immediately gave him the tray of food. Jeremy walked back to our table, a huge smile of anticipation on his face.

"Why are you smiling like that, Jeremy?" I asked.

"No reason," Jeremy replied, not taking his eyes off mine. "It's a good day, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." Something was _definitely_ off. Is...Is he gonna _propose_ to me? Oh boy, oh boy, I don't wanna ruin everything, act curious!

"Yeah..."

It was silent for a moment at our table. I had a feeling we were being watched. It felt _so_ weird. I decided to break the tension and look innocent at the same time by eating the sandwich Jeremy ordered for me. Jeremy's face suddenly paled and he stood up.

"Excuse me," he said quickly before running back to the same clerk he ordered his food from, shoving his way through the line of customers and causing some to complain angrily. The two began talking, and their faces looked worried. Why? What? What happened? Did something happen that was out of Jeremy's plan? What happened?

* * *

_**Baljeet's POV**_

"You two have fun!" my mother called from inside the family SUV.

"We will, Mom!" I replied, waving with Wendy as the SUV drove away. I then turned to face Wendy. "So Wendy, ready to have the best birthday party ever?"

"Yeah," she said. Wendy then looked down at the ruby necklace I gave her. "Thank you so much for the necklace, Baljeet! I love you."

"I love you too." The two of us kissed, and I felt my knees go weak. But my love for my new girlfriend Wendy Stinglehopper motivated me to maintain my composure until we broke apart. Just as we did, I heard two familiar voices speaking in what I identified as Japanese.

"(Can't you shut up, Stace? My God, you can be flippin' annoying!)"

"(Jeez Ginger, all I did was talk about how Bal-)"

"(Don't you DARE say his name to me EVER AGAIN!)"

Only Lord knows what Ginger and Stacy Hirano are talking about.

The two sisters were arguing all the way out of the parking lot about something I couldn't comprehend. Just then, the argument stopped short when Ginger spotted me and Wendy, then ran off into the festival a split-second later, sobbing uncontrollably. I raised an eyebrow and looked at Stacy.

"What's up with her?" I asked.

"You don't wanna know," Stacy replied.

* * *

_**Buford's POV**_

"WHOO!" I screamed as my shiny new red convertible raced down the street alongside a blue muscle car.

Just several miles before, the two goons inside challenged me to a race towards the Mid-Summer's Festival, a challenge that I'd never back down on. Therefore, explaining the race. And of course I'd never back down on that challenge; Buford Van Stomm NEVER backs down on anything! So, as I made a sudden right turn and nearly hitting some pedestrians in the process, I looked out of my window and saw the two guys inside the muscle car, grinning triumphantly and confidently at me.

HA! You should've seen their faces the moment their engine started to rattle and pop seconds later.

As the muscle car disappeared from the sights of my side-mirror, I let out a yell of triumph as I drove into the parking lot of the Mid-Summer's Festival and beat some sucker's VW Beetle in occupying a vacant space. I stepped out of my car, imagining rap music accompanying my arrival. It was good to live the life of a daredevil, now that I have a sweet new ride. But I knew that this kind of life had its consequences.

I spent the next ten minutes evading police officers who saw me exceeding the speed limit. So what's the problem? I didn't hurt anyone.

I would later learn my car kinda grazed two unlucky old guys on the sidewalk during that race.

* * *

_**Irving's POV**_

As my brother Albert and I walked into the Mid-Summer's Festival, I waved my new camera around to examine all of the stuff that had in the festival.

"And this is the annual Mid-Summer's Festival, the joyous occasion celebrating (you guessed it) the middle of the summer," I announced. "There are a lot of games here: ring toss, Skeeball, Whac-A-Mole, crossbow targets, miniature rifle range, etc. And there's the food court, where you can eat a lotta food of all kinds. Cotton candy, popcorn- Ooh, hey, and this is the tent where they supposedly keep the elephants and-"

"Irving," Albert suddenly piped up, "I'm glad you like the camera Dad gave you and all, but can you tone down its usage a bit? That thing's been on ever since we got in the car. And it's kinda creepy for you to videotape people all the time, like you did when I was driving down here. It was _very_ distracting."

"But videotaping is my one joy!" I protested.

"No, _stalking_ is your one joy," retorted Albert. Yowch.

"Excuse me, me following Phineas and Ferb around does NOT qualify as stalking. If they don't mind, then it's no big deal."

"But I _do_ mind you recording stuff all the time. It's annoying. Please turn the camera off before you waste out the batteries."

"Fine..." I grumbled bitterly as I switched off the camera. "You never let me do whatever I want whenever I'm under your watch."

"That's because I don't trust you in doing what you do. One day that stalking of yours is gonna be the end of you."

* * *

**_Perry's POV_**

I slid down the tube leading to my secret private headquarters underneath my host family's house and landed on the small red chair made specifically for me. I looked up at the large screen, just as the face of my superior Major Monogram appeared on it.

"Good morning, Agent P," he greeted. "We have reason to believe that Dr. Doofenshmirtz is up to no good once again. Our reliable spies have caught him fishing, buying groceries, taking a stroll on the beach, and currently, watching football. While this is usually something that doesn't raise alarms, since today's not his day off from evil, we believe that these are warm-ups for something dastardly. We want you to investigate at once. Good luck, Agent P."

I saluted my superior and ran towards my jetpack, strapping it around me and activating it. That was when the voice of Monogram's intern Carl sounded through the speakers.

"Uh sir, I forgot to tell you that Agent P's jetpack has recently started malfunctioning and is scheduled for repairs."

That's right, I forgot about that. The engine of my jetpack suddenly started rattling and popping, and soon, it shut down with a low hum with smoke emanating from it. Monogram face-palmed himself.

"Alright Agent P, I'm afraid that due to technical difficulties you're gonna have to resort to carpooling with Admiral Acronym's own Agent P."

I saluted Monogram again, just as a door in the wall opened. I ran through it and entered a large room full of bridges and roadways, all occupied with OWCA agents driving their cars to their bases or the headquarters of their arch-nemeses. A car stopped alongside me and the door opened to reveal my trembling neighbor and good colleague Pinky the Chihuahua. We saluted each other as I hopped into his car.

_"Hey Pinky, how's it goin'?"_ I greeted as Pinky drove the car down the roadway.

_"The usual,"_ he replied. _"Isabella's still obsessing over Phineas, Vivian's struggling to keep ends meet with her new jobs and the piling bills, and Poof is still up to no good with improving her looks." _Pinky sighed heavily. _"Things are _seriously _not doing well for my host family. They're close to losing the house. And now, with balancing my cover and my missions to stop Poof, I wish that I can just help them out. They've been good to me and they deserve it."_

_"But you don't wanna get relocated," _I said for him. _"I know how you feel, Pink, I do."_

* * *

**_Adyson's POV_**

"How come Katie can't drive me here, Mom?" I asked as my mother parked her SUV alongside the sidewalk leading to the Mid-Summer's Festival.

"Because she just got her driver's license and it's a bit worrisome to trust a novice driver to take your child somewhere, Addie," my mother replied.

"I've seen her drive, Mom, and she's really good. I mean, she passed all of her driving tests nearly perfectly!"

"That's right, Addie. _Nearly _perfectly."

I sighed angrily, frustrated at this situation. For almost a week now my mother and I have been pursuing this argument, like any other argument we've had. My mother just can't _trust_ me to do anything for some reason. Heck, I'm almost an adult, I have responsibilities! And now she can't trust my friends! I fear that pretty soon she'll forbid me to hang out with any of them. Katie, the other girls, Phineas, Ferb, Django...heck, maybe even Irving!

"Mom, why can't you trust me on anything?" I asked.

"I _do_ trust you, honey," she replied. I mentally scoffed.

"Then why won't you let Katie drive me? It's not like we're going to Las Vegas, the park's only ten minutes away from our house."

"You never know what can happen on the road within ten minutes. I just love you, Addie."

"Well, it appears you're not loving me enough to trust me!" I prepared to open the door when my mother's scolding voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Adyson, don't talk to me that way! What makes you think that I don't trust you?"

"Well, you let Ben hang out with those creepy friends of his, but you don't let me hang out with my friends!"

"Your cousin's just going through a tough time, having lost his parents. He needs his space. But you, I'm worried about you and your safety, Addie."

"STOP BEING SO WORRIED ABOUT ME!" I screamed. I didn't care if I angered my mother any further, I just wanted her overbearing concern to just _stop_. "I'LL BE FINE, ALL RIGHT?! MY FREAKIN' GOD!"

Ignoring my mother's shocked expression, I got out of the car and walked towards the festival.

* * *

_**No POV**_

The black SUV with tinted windows parked alongside the sidewalk, right in front of the festival entrance. Its license plate read 'KILLR01'. Inside, the four people, two men and two teenagers, wearing heavy, all-black clothing, took out masks, helmets, and eyewear.

"Is everyone ready?" the driver asked.

"As in ready to rain down hell," the man in the passenger seat replied. "You betcha, man!"

"Yeah, locked and loaded," one of the teenagers in the back seat replied.

"Yep," the other teenager replied.

"Then let's do this."

The driver raised a rifle that had been on his lap the whole time and loaded it.

* * *

**A/N:** We know of the situations of the central characters, and now, we go into the dreaded subject: the shooting. I must warn you all, the chapters will be quite realistic-sounding and frightening to read, so if you wanna read what's next, be sure to have an empty stomach and a box of tissues next to you. I swear, things are gonna get dramatic and disturbing.

Now, I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:

_**iheartphinabella05 [You'll see.]**_

_**humanusscriptor [Oh dude! I didn't know it was your birthday today! I never knew, I swear! Well, a belated happy birthday, I guess.]**_

_**TheNargana [You'll DEFINITELY see more. Hope you enjoy.]**_

_**bookwrm23**_

_**Emmi194 [I'm now officially scared...]**_

_**shadowayn**_

_**AlphaBetaSoup [I'm pretty sure I won't be able to think of the same words either. Thanks for the review!]**_

_**Lieber Qual**_

_**NattyMc [Thanks for the review!]**_

_**Monkey Lover 422 [Of course! Why do you think I updated? **_**:)_]_**

**_person124 [...]_**

**_speedman12 (guest reviewer) [I just wanna pursue new ideas for now, so please wait patiently. And I have already read Doverstar's stories and loved them, though I don't know why I didn't bother to review.]_**

**_Ddroczzzz [May those victims rest in peace. May they be remembered!]_**

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	3. The First Shots

_(A slow, continuous, eerie beeping is heard as the phone is activated)_

**Dispatcher: **Danville 911, what's your emergency?

**Caller:** Hi, I'm at the Mid-Summer's Festival. A black SUV's pulled into the parking lot. Something's wrong.

**Dispatcher:** What's wrong about the SUV, sir?

**Caller:** The people inside, they look like SWAT agents or something.

**Dispatcher:** We never dispatched any SWAT units to the Mid-Summer's Festival, sir.

**Caller:** Well, those guys definitely look like SWAT agents. They've even got guns.

**Dispatcher:** Okay sir, are you alone?

**Caller:** No, there's a lot of people in the festival. I'm with my sister.

**Dispatcher:** Okay sir, what's your name?

**Caller:** D... Those guys are coming out of the car. Th-

_(BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!)_

**Dispatcher:** Shots fired.

**Caller:** OH MY GOD, OH MY **GOD**! They just shot at a car coming into the parking lot.

**Dispatcher:** Okay, I've sent units on the way, sir. Where are you now?

**Caller:** Running into the Mid-Summer's Festival with my sister! _(Music comes into the background)_ HEY EVERYONE, SOMEONE'S SHOOTING! RUN!

**Dispatcher:** Alright sir, I want you to leave the area as fast as you can. How many gunmen are there?

**Caller:** Four. There's definitely four. HEY EVERYONE, YOU'VE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE! **NOW**! Hey sir, you gotta get these people out of here, now.

**Background voice:** Oka-

_(BAM! BAM! BAM!)_

**Dispatcher:** Shots fired.

**Caller:** Oh my God, they're walking towards the festival. EVERYONE, GET OUTTA HERE! GO, GO, GO! My God, no one can here me! Why is no one hearing ANYTHING?! Oh, crap! RUN! EVERYONE, RUN! **GODDAMN IT**! Oh, no, no, no-

**Dispatcher:** Sir, stay calm. I want you and your sister to just get out of th-

_(BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!)_

**Dispatcher: **Shots fired, automatic fire.

_(Screams are heard)_

**Caller: **OH SHIT! OH SHIT! NO, NO, NO, N-

_(BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! BAM!)_

**Dispatcher:** Shots fired. Hello? Hello, sir? Are you there? Can you pick up? Hello?

_(Only the beeping is heard. The screams are becoming distant.)_

**Dispatcher:** Hello, can you pick up? Hello? ...Several people possibly injured or dead. Caller unresponding at this t-

**Caller:** Hello? _Hello_?

**Dispatcher:** Sir, where are you right now?

**Caller:** OH NO! HELP ME! OH, HELP ME! HELP ME, HELP ME! SEND IN THE FREAKING COPS! SEND IN THE STUPID SWAT! HELP ME, HELP ME! WAAAHHH! WAAAAAHHHHH! BOO-HOO! BOO-HOO! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

**Dispatcher:** Gunman on the line.

**Caller:** The cops should be coming.

**Background voice:** Well then, we better get this shit done fast.

_(BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! BAM BAM! BAM BAM! BAM BAM BAM! BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!)_

**Dispatcher:** Shots fired, automatic fire.

_(Only the beeping is heard. The gunfire is becoming distant.)_

**Dispatcher:** Hello? Hello, can anyone pick up? Hello? Hello?

* * *

**A/N:** And the first shots are fired. The next few chapters will be focused on the POVs of all the characters from the previous chapter as they experience the shooting, so get those tissues ready. For anyone who is extremely sensitive to this material, you're all free to turn away. I am NOT liable for anything that happens as a result of the next chapters; I'm just an innocent guy writing a story focused on an ongoing subject with the intent of spreading some morals.

I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:

_**NattyMc [You're lucky this chapter was just short and not descriptive. But be warned, the next chapters is where you will need those tissues.]**_

_**speedman12 (guest reviewer)**_

_**Randomchick16 [I know what you mean. A story focused on a subject like this would leave people torn over whether it should be called good or not. And I'm not the only one to make a story in the aftermath of the terrible, senseless Aurora shooting. Urhairsmellsnice posted a story called "Heaven Was Needing a Hero", which is directly inspired by the Aurora shooting. I nearly cried reading it. And I do wish this stuff was fanfiction, but nevertheless, it has to be a real situation that continues to this day.]**_

_**Out with a Whoosh and a Thunk**_

_**person124**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z [Thanks for the review! Be sure to have tissues ready for the next chapters.]**_

_**Monkey Lover 422 [Of course I mentioned your name! I'm always gonna mention the names of everyone who reviewed. Thanks for the review!]**_

_**Emmi194 [Yeah, seriously. **_**-_-_]_**

**_humanusscriptor [I've written longer.]_**

**_shadowayn_**

Before I conclude this chapter, I will announce that today, the world lost six more people to yet another troubled soul. I will not divulge anymore details about what happened out of respect to the victims and their families. If you wanna find out what happened, search the news channels or look online; it'll be easy to find. May those innocent souls rest in peace.

For this chapter and the next few, I shall alter my concluding motto out of respect for everyone victimized by gun violence. TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	4. My Story: Phineas

**A/N:** Jeez, how come I can't stay away from this story?! I'm trying to update my other stories, and yet, I always seem to keep going to this one. I guess it's because of how realistic its situation is; the thing really catches my attention. I really wish that wasn't true...

As I write this, I am listening to Benji Cossa's "Volcano", which seems like an appropriate song for this story. So, I don't own the song, Benji Cossa does.

Now, we delve into the real nightmare: the massacre in the eyes of our favorite characters. ENJOY! ...And not in a psychopathic, sadistic way, please. Pretty please, this is a serious subject.

I am NOT liable for anything that happens as a result of reading this chapter and the few following it.

* * *

_**No POV**_

Phineas, Ferb, and their group of friends were gathered around a vacant space between two tents, setting up for the newest invention when...

_BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! BAM BAM BAM! BAM BAM! BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!_

Everyone yelped out in shock.

"Whoa, what the hell was that?" asked Buford, looking around.

"Probably someone setting off fireworks," Baljeet replied, shrugging. "It's likely nothing."

Ferb looked around, examining the scene with cautious curiosity. All of the people around them were looking around, searching for the source of the strange noise. Just then, everyone heard screams coming towards them...

Everyone turned to their left and watched as a large group of people ran into the scene as fast as they could, screaming.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's going on?" Phineas asked as a man stopped next to him to catch his breath.

"There's guys here with guns!" exclaimed the man between pants. "You kids need to get out of here, quick!"

"But what about-?"

"You kids need to _leave_! They're shooting anyone and everyone! You-"

_BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! **BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_

The gunshots were getting closer by the minute. The gang watched with horror as more people came running past them, some of them now bloody. A few were actually limping or clutching parts of their body. Everyone's faces turned pale. The man's breathing became faster as he faced the teenagers again.

"Kids, get out of here NOW! GO, GO, GO!"

"Alright, let's go guys," Phineas announced.

The screams became louder as more people came running in, and amidst the chaos, everyone heard a voice screaming angrily over the turmoil of terrified noises.

"**DIE, SUCKERS**!"

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_

There was one word to describe the scene that unfolded within seconds: chaos.

* * *

_**Phineas's POV**_

The moment I heard the gunshots, I fell to the ground and covered my head. The sounds of the gunfire and the screaming hammered away at my eardrums like hyper-powered jackhammers. I vaguely heard some laughing mixed in the chaotic mix of sounds, and I knew that I needed to move or I was gonna die. Taking a deep breath, I stood up and ran towards the nearest tent, diving under the draped table.

I looked around, only to see that a woman I never knew was with me under the table and no one else. Not Ferb, not Isabella, not any of my other friends. I wanted to look out of the drape and see if any of my friends were there, but I was too afraid that the shooters were still there and I might catch their attention. And indeed, the shooters _were_ still there. I could hear them talking. I'll never forget what I heard.

"Dude, this is intense," one voice said.

"I'm freaking out, man," replied another voice. "Pretty soon, we're gonna have to go for the endgame. I don't want this to end soon."

"Eh, don't worry," a third voice said. "We've got these babies. Even SWAT will be afraid to come near us."

Babies? It was obvious they were talking about their firearms, but what made them confident that SWAT wouldn't confront them? Aren't SWAT agents trained to engage the enemy if they retaliated? Many questions were racing through my mind at the moment. I heard the woman with me whimper fearfully.

"Hey, you see that?" the second voice asked. "This guy's twitching."

"Does that mean he's still alive?" the third voice asked.

_**BAM!**_

"If so, then not anymore," replied the first voice. Then, I heard insane laughter. Seriously? They're treating this whole thing like a JOKE! I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth, trying to stave my outrage at their behavior.

"Come on man, let's get outta here," said a fourth voice. It sounded _familiar_...

I heard footsteps, and they slowly faded away. The only thing I could heard was the woman beside me breathing, distant gunfire, and the noontime breeze. I couldn't heard any police sirens. Why weren't the police coming? Shouldn't someone have called 911 by now?

Finally, I became confident that the shooters were gone. I lifted the drape up slowly and saw no trace of a gunman. Bodies were littered all over the walkway, blood oozing out of them. I began to tremble fearfully as I stepped out from under the table, followed by the woman. It was a terrifying sight, straight out of a horror movie. I walked forward a few steps. And tripped on a body.

I retched and threw up. This was too much for me. I couldn't believe this was happening.

"Here, need a hand?" I heard the woman ask. I grabbed her outstretched hand, and she helped me up. I felt dizzy. The whole thing was overwhelming...

"We've gotta get out of here," the woman said.

"How?" I asked. "Those shooters could be anywhere?"

"I don't know. We've just _have_ to get out of here."

The woman then began running, and I instinctively followed her. We ran our way around the lines of tents and stands. Sometimes there were bodies everywhere on the walkways, sometimes the walkways were empty. Finally, I heard helicopter blades whirring, and I looked up into the sky. A news helicopter was flying across the sky. I looked back down to see that a couple more people have joined us in trying to find our way out of the festival. I was so preoccupied in testing out the new invention Ferb and I made that I failed to pay attention where we were going from the entrance. ..._Ferb_...

If anything happened to Ferb, I would never forgive myself. I'd never forgive myself if _any_ of my family or friends were hurt by these maniacs. ...I shouldn't have invited everyone to the festival. I should've invited them to the backyard as usual...

_**KA-BOOM!**_

We all bent down as we saw a plume of flaming smoke rise up like a nuclear bomb going off. These guys had bombs too? ..._Now_ I'm wondering why the police aren't here...

Everyone stood up and continued to run. It was all so confusing. It was like trying to get out of a maze. We didn't know where to go...more people were joining in with this little group of ours...

Suddenly, we all stopped. We saw him. One of the shooters.

He looked like one of those SWAT agents from the action films. He was clad from head to toe in black army-style clothing, complete with a helmet, mask, and goggle-like eyewear. The guy was carrying a large gun, whose barrel was emitting smoke. Fortunately, his attention wasn't on us. It was on two police officers.

The shooter raised his gun and fired large bursts of machine-gun fire. We all covered our ears and moved away as the gunfight began.

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! BAM BAM! BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_

It was _so_ loud...

"GUYS, THIS WAY!" one of the men in our group cried. I looked up and saw an exit ahead. We all ran for our lives...

_**KA-BOOM!**_

The ground ahead of us exploded and we all took cover underneath several stands as two of the shooters came in. This time, I was alone as I hid underneath a draped table.

_**BAM! BAM!**_

I heard wood and plastic break and shatter; the shooters were firing at the tables where my group was hiding.

"NO, NO, NO! WAIT, NO! OH GOD, NO!" I heard someone scream before...

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_

I heard someone running, then...

_**BAM!**_

Then, I heard someone drop to the ground.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! WHOO!"

Two sets of boots walked past me, but I didn't bother to come out. Instead, I cowered underneath the table for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, the drape lifted away abruptly. I screamed, thinking one of the gunmen found me, but...

"It's okay, it's clear," a man told me. "You can come out."

I was shivering uncontrollably. I didn't trust that guy...

It didn't matter anyway. The man pulled me out from under the table and half-dragged me towards the exit. Several others were following us. I didn't bother to look down at the ground, knowing that what I would see won't be pretty. I could see police and onlooking civilians outside, and as we stood at the exit, a group of SWAT agents came toward us. Everyone accompanying me raised their arms above our heads, and I followed their lead. We all rushed outside as the agents searched us, and I instantly recognized my parents among the crowd. I ran into the crowd and embraced them.

The nightmare was over for me. And yet, it just begun...

* * *

_Have you ever felt such glory? Maybe in a lost memorial?_  
_I'll never wanna come back from again_

* * *

**A/N:** Man, I kinda didn't enjoy writing this. But hey, a writer's gotta do what a writer's gotta do, right? Hopefully you were all well-prepared for this. Next chapter will be focused on Candace's predicament.

I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:

_**Emmi194 [The caller or the sister isn't Isabella, I'll tell you that.]**_

_**humanusscriptor [You'll find out.]**_

_**DEI Caboose [That's good to hear that. This story isn't meant to be a haven for psychopaths and sadists and the like.]**_

_**WordNerb93 [Glad to hear you've taken a sort of interest in this. But you're free to turn away if you like, I'm not forcing you to read this.]**_

_**person124 [Hope you had your tissues ready.]**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z [So do I, Wolf/Robot/whatever you like to be nicknamed as because I find it a bit redundant referring everyone by their full pen-names. So do I.]**_

_**shadowayn [You'll find out. That's all I've got to say.]**_

_**Da Darkest Knight [You'll see if it was Django.]**_

_**speedman12 (guest reviewer) [Indeed. May those souls find comfort in God.]**_

_**8ami [Why, thanks for the review! Probably one of the best reviews I've ever gotten! Thanks again!]**_

_**NattyMc [**_**D: _indeed! And unfortunately, there's more to come.]_**

**_Monkey Lover 422 [Here's the next chapter you wanted!]_**

God, writing this can sure be heart-wrenching. But with all the gun violence that's been occurring, I thought that people need to hear the morals of all this. Once again, I am NOT liable for anything negative that happens as a result of reading this!

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	5. My Story: Candace

_**Candace's POV**_

Jeremy and the clerk continued to talk, and I couldn't distinguish what they could say. It was obvious something didn't go according to their plan. I decided to stand up and walk closer to the two. I _needed_ to know what was going on that made them so worried.

"Hey, Candace." I turned around to see my brother Phineas with Ferb and his friends. "We'll be between the freak show and the miniature rifle range tents."

"That's good," I replied blankly, unfocused. "I'll be at the bathroom."

I instantly walked off towards Jeremy and the clerk. As I walked closer, I could hear their voices.

"...Tell her," the clerk was saying.

"I'm just nervous," replied Jeremy.

"Nervous about what?" I asked, catching their attention. Jeremy's face turned red.

"Uh, Candace, babe, can you just go back to the table, please?" he asked nervously.

I crossed my arms suspiciously. "I wanna know what's going on," I replied sternly and seriously. Somehow, I had the strangest feeling that this was no longer an attempt by Jeremy to propose to me. Something else was going on, and I'm gonna find out.

Jeremy and the clerk looked at one another. Then, Jeremy sighed and looked at me.

"Candace, there's something I wanna tell you," he said. My face turned pale: his voice sounded _grave_. He _definitely_ wasn't gonna propose. Is he..._breaking up with me_?

"What is it, Jeremy? You can tell me."

"I've been che-"

_BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! BAM BAM!_

Everyone at the food court either let out short yelps of surprise or looked around curiously. One even fell out of his seat in shock.

"What the hell was that?" the clerk asked as I heard some distant screaming.

Just then...

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! BAM!**_

In a split-second, everyone in the food court stood up and ran, while the clerks all ducked underneath their stalls. Jeremy grabbed my arm and the both of us ran in the same direction as everyone else. I didn't know what was happening at the time; I thought someone was just committing some sort of sick prank for their own amusement. But when I turned my head, I saw some people fall, while others yelled out in pain and clutched their arms or started limping. The _BAM!_s were extremely loud and sounded like the popping of popcorn, only amplified thousands of times.

"Don't look back, Candace!" Jeremy yelled, continuing to pull me as we ran. People were screaming and running all over the place now; it became confusing as to which direction was safe and which direction was not.

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_

I felt something whiz past my ear, and the person in front of us let out a single yell and then collapsed to the ground. I gasped in horror; blood was starting to ooze from the guy's back...

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_

Three people tried to help this person, only to be felled themselves.

"Quick, in there!" Jeremy cried as he led me to a bathroom. As we ran, the _BAM!_s seemed to be closer, and more than once I felt something whiz past me.

Just then, I felt something cut through my shoulder like a knife. The pain shot up my brain in split-seconds and it was nothing I've ever felt before. It hurt _so much_, and yet, I didn't scream. I continued to run with Jeremy into the bathroom, and when we took cover inside a stall, I slowly looked at my shoulder.

Blood was slowly oozing down from the slash-like wound that was on it. Finally I cried as Jeremy took some paper towels and began wiping the blood.

"It's okay, Candace, it's okay," he said reassuringly. "It's gonna be okay."

"NO IT'S NOT!" a voice screeched. I saw a set of boots walk into the bathroom. "I KNOW YOU TWO ARE IN HERE! YOU TWO ARE GONNA **DIE**!"

That voice...it sounded kinda _familiar_...

The boots were standing behind the closed door of the stall Jeremy and I were hiding in...

"I love you, Candace," Jeremy said quickly before kissing my cheek and diving over me.

_**BAM!**_

A part of the door exploded, and I felt Jeremy convulse for a second. And then, he was still. I screamed the loudest scream I've ever let out.

_**BAM! BAM!**_

Two more parts of the door exploded, but I didn't feel anymore pain. I stopped screaming, hoping that it fooled the shooter into thinking he shot me...

_**BAM!**_

The lock of the door exploded, and the door opened. I instantly closed my eyes and pretended to be dead as I felt an evil presence in the stall. I felt something extremely warm and solid touch me, and I began to sweat. The shooter was pointing his gun _right at me_... If he pulled the trigger, then I was done for. I began to think about my family, my mother, my father, my stepfather, my brothers... I was never gonna see them again... I started fighting back tears with my eyes closed...

Another voice spoke. "Hey, man! Stop fooling around with the bodies! Let's go."

"I totally shot Jeremy and Candace," the first voice spoke. The shooter _knew_ us?

"So what? You're the one who said no survivors. Let's go!"

I felt the two gunmen leave... After a few minutes, I opened my eyes and looked at Jeremy. He was silent and more still and peaceful than I ever saw him... There were three gunshot wounds, two on his back and one on his leg. His head was bleeding too...

I gently lifted him off of me and I stood up, trembling, clutching my wounded shoulder. I didn't know what to do now...

"Oh, my God!"

A man was now standing at the doorway of our stall, having emerged from the stall next to us. He instantly put a finger on Jeremy's pulse, and his eyes widened. He grabbed Jeremy's armpits and lifted his upper body up from the ground.

"Come on, grab his legs!" the man cried. "We've gotta get him help! He's got a pulse!"

I gasped with relief. "He's _alive_?" I asked him.

"Yeah, now get his legs! Come on!"

I grabbed his legs (surprisingly without difficulty, considering my shoulder wound), and the two of us lifted him from the ground and carried him out of the bathroom.

The moment we went outside, I nearly dropped my boyfriend's legs in shock. Bodies were littered all over the walkway...

"Come on!" the man cried.

The two of us continued to carry Jeremy down the walkway. I could still hear distant gunfire...

Finally, we reached a tent that I recognized as belonging to the oddball show host, P.P. Otter. At the entrance of the tent, I tragically saw Otter's body lying there. Five years ago, I became fifty feet tall thanks to one of Phineas and Ferb's inventions, and he tried to use my freakish size to make people feel better about themselves in exchange for money. Though I never liked his ideals, I still felt sorry for him.

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_

"Oh, crap!" the man cried. "Let's take shelter in there!"

We carried Jeremy's body into Otter's tent. Inside, we could see several people hiding underneath tables whose drapes were big enough to conceal their crouched legs. Since there was nowhere else we could hide, we took our chances and hid underneath the nearest table with a couple.

"Oh dear Lord, what happened to him?" asked the woman, pointing at Jeremy's unconscious form.

"He got shot," I replied.

_"Trying to protect me," _I added to myself.

"Here, let's stop the bleeding," the woman's husband said, taking out a handkerchief and placing it on Jeremy's head wound while the woman and the man accompanying me applied pressure on Jeremy's back wounds. As for me, I put my hand over Jeremy's leg wound, just as we heard someone striding into the tent.

I instinctively knew it was one of the shooters. He was walking, not running. No one walks in the face of a situation like this.

My instincts were proven when I heard a gunshot and some wood shatter.

"I KNOW YOU'RE ALL HIDING THERE! WE'RE GONNA KILL YOU ALL! GUYS, GET IN HERE! WE'VE GOT SOME **SITTIN' DUCKS**!"

Three more sets of footsteps came in, and then...

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_

Large, long, loud bursts of machine-gun fire assaulted my eardrums viciously. Numerous bullets ripped past the drape covering our table and we all ducked, fortunately not getting hit by any of them. So far.

Then, the gunfire stopped. I heard the shooters reloading.

"Having fun, man?" a voice asked.

I only heard three deep breaths as a response.

"I'll take that as a yes."

I saw a set of boots walk past our table. Then...

_**BAM!**_

"**YAHOO**!" a voice screamed.

Silence, then...

_**BAM! BAM! BAM BAM!**_

I heard a shotgun rack, then...

_**BAM!**_

I heard someone take a deep breath. Whoever this guy was, he appeared to be freaking out. Then...

_**BAM BAM!**_

More silence. Then...

"Look, there's a guy all alone under a table!" a shooter called. "A table we didn't hit!"

A new voice was pleading, "Oh God, no! Please don't! I'll do anything, just don't _kill_ me, man!"

I heard a shotgun rack again.

"OH GOD, NO, PLEASE! GET AWAY! WAIT!"

"Look at that guy whimper," a second shooter said. "Just like a _baby_..."

"GOD, WAIT NO, PLEASE! JUST A SEC!"

"'Just a sec'? How pathetic!"

"OH GOD, **NO**!"

"...Meh, let's spare the guy," the familiar shooter said. "He's too pathetic to kill."

"What? You'll let me _live_? Oh, thank you, thank you, _thank you_!"

Silence, then...

"You know what, on second thought..."

_**BAM!**_

I couldn't take this carnage anymore. This was too much. I covered my mouth to prevent my crying from being heard...

"Hey, lookee over here!" a fourth shooter cried. This voice sounded familiar too... "The guy wasn't alone after all!"

There was silence.

"Got any last words?" the first shooter asked.

No response.

"Nothing? Not even a 'Ohhh, please help me!'?"

No response.

"Bah, how boring," the third shooter said before...

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_

"Come on, let's get out of here," said the fourth shooter. "This is getting boring."

"Yeah, let's go," the second shooter replied.

Four sets of boots went past my table, then...

I heard a strange _POP_! And then...

_**KA-BOOM!**_

My world went black...

* * *

"We've got five civilians alive but unconscious over here! One's in pretty bad shape."

My eyes instantly flew open. My vision was blurry at first, but as it slowly adjusted, the first thing I saw was the mask of one of those SWAT agent guys, staring back at me from above. I realized I was lying on the ground, with the table I was hiding under overturned.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" the agent asked. His voice was weird; it sounded like it was in some sort of slow-motion, and there was this incessant ringing in the background, ringing I've never heard before...My hearing must be on the fritz.

"Wh-What h-_happened_?..." I asked groggily.

"You'll be informed later. We've gotta get you to a hospital." The agent then turned to his left. "Are those paramedics coming?"

"Yeah," a voice replied in the distance.

"Wh-Where's my b-boyfriend?" I asked. "J-Jeremy Johnson? I-Is he o-okay..."

"I'm not sure right now, ma'am. What we can do for you now is take you to a hospital. Come on, we need those paramedics, hurry!"

All of the noises were hammering away at my eardrums at once...I couldn't take this whole thing anymore...I blacked out again.

* * *

I heard the whirring of chopper blades, and I opened my eyes again. The first thing I saw was a helicopter right above me. Four wires were hanging from it. I was strapped onto something... I suddenly started swinging, and I started to panic. Was the ground disappearing below me?

That was when I realized I was being _airlifted_ into the sky.

I could still hear gunfire, I could still hear explosions. I heard screaming and more helicopters and more commands from SWAT agents. It was a living hell. Then, as I ascended upward and upward into the sky, the chaotic turmoil of noises slowly began to disappear. The sky was blue with no clouds, an ironically peacefully sight.

As I continued my ascent, multiple thoughts began bouncing through my mind. Were my brothers and their friends safe? Is Jeremy still alive? Why was this horrifying nightmare happening to _me_? How come I survived and all those other people lying there on the festival walkways didn't? I just wanted to sit up, but I didn't want to disturb the balance of whatever I was lying on and consequently fall to the earth below. For now, I just laid there and began to delve into my shocked thoughts in the face of the scenic sight of the afternoon sky.

* * *

_And we really wanna be someone_  
_Everybody said we were something_  
_I wish I could feel like nothing's wrong_

* * *

**A/N:** I just can't stay away from this, can I? Next chapter, we'll look into Baljeet's POV.

_**Emmi194 [Good. And you'll see.]**_

_**shadowayn [You'll learn why they wanted to do this.]**_

_**person124 [Thanks for the review!]**_

_**NattyMc**_

_**sonicboy678**_

_**WordNerb93 [Yeah, I'm saddened about the increase in gun violence too. Maybe it's something the government should at least consider.]**_

_**Ddroczzzz [Now I'm officially scared.]**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z [Okay, Wolf. And this is how Candace's POV went. A bit more intense, huh?]**_

_**Lieber Qual [Your review made very much sense, don't worry. Thanks!]**_

_**Randomchick16 [Phineas said he hid under that stall for what looked like an eternity. In reality, I'm gonna guess that meant almost an hour or so. Thanks for the review!]**_

_**Out with a Whoosh and a Thunk**_

I _seriously_ need to update my other fics. Why do I keep going to this?

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	6. My Story: Baljeet

**A/N:** Before I begin, I wanna announce to everyone that I have put up an all-new poll, which is based on my newest update on "Evil Phineas: Book 2". Check it out, please!

And in response to person124's review, I must say that it sounds like a good idea and I'm going for it! Thanks for the suggestion.

* * *

_**Baljeet's POV**_

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_

I continued to hold onto Wendy's hand as we ran from the sounds of the gunfire, while my unoccupied arm was cast over my head just in case. Several people were running with us, some of them screaming. Among them were Ferb, Isabella, Buford, Adyson, Ginger, Django, and Milly. I don't know what happened to the others; I assumed that in the chaos everyone ran in different directions. Hopefully none of those directions were dead straight in the line of gunfire.

_**KA-BOOM!**_

A tent in front of us suddenly exploded, knocking all of us backward. We stood up quickly the moment a man clad in all-black clothing and wearing a mask calmly walked towards us. He looked exactly like a SWAT agent, but the gun he was holding looked like one a soldier would carry into battle. I then saw the word imprinted on the front of his vest: 'ANARCHY'. We all turned around and ran.

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM **__**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM **__**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_!

Large, loud bursts of machine-gun fire was all that occupied my eardrums. It felt as if they could explode from the loud, explosion-like noise. I felt Wendy's hand clench tighter around mine in a split-second, then suddenly loosen up as fast. Another split-second later, I nearly fell to the ground; Wendy had fallen to the ground. I looked back at her, hoping that she merely tripped on something.

She didn't. She was shot numerous times in the back, legs, and Lord knows where else.

I looked up and saw the gunman point his weapon at me. I could also see Milly, Buford and several others also lying on the ground, blood oozing out of their gunshot wounds. The sight of my friends just lying there, motionless, was terrifying. And if I didn't take advantage of this split-second-long timeframe to run for cover, then I'd end up just like them. But I couldn't move. I couldn't let go of Wendy's hand. I didn't want to leave her there with that guy.

I braced myself for impact. The shooter pulled the trigger.

The gun was empty.

As the gunman reached into his pocket for more ammunition, I felt a hand enclose itself around my unoccupied hand. I looked back to see that it was Ginger.

"COME ON!" she screamed.

"I can't leave her!" I replied, looking down at Wendy.

Ginger instantly pulled me away from my fallen girlfriend, and the two of us started running as fast as we can. I looked back and saw that Wendy wasn't moving, and neither were Milly and Buford. I just wanted to run back to them, help them, but it was already too late for that. To go back would be to commit suicide. Praying that they were all right, I continued running with Ginger. We kept running and running and running...

And we literally ran into someone.

"Oh my gosh, we're so sorry!" exclaimed Ginger. "Come on, we have to go!"

I instantly saw the word written on the guy's vest: 'APEX PREDATOR'.

"**RUN!**" I screeched. There was no need to yell it out twice: the two of us started running again.

_**BAM! BAM BAM! BAM BAM! BAM! BAM BAM!**_

The bullets shredded through the stalls and tents directly behind us, but none of them fortunately found their true marks. Suddenly, my foot came in contact with something, and I fell to the ground. Getting up instantly and brushing the dirt off my face, I gasped. I had tripped on the body of my own Math teacher. His eyes were open, and yet, they were lifeless. I instantly threw up, and unfortunately, I was never prepared for it, and by the time I was done five seconds later, the body of my teacher was drenched in my own vomit. I couldn't believe I just defaced a dead body, even if it was unintentional...

I looked up. The gunman with 'APEX PREDATOR' written on his vest was coming, reloading his gun as he did so. Accompanying him was another gunman; 'RAGE' was written on his own vest. I looked back and saw that Ginger was gone. I was all alone.

I made a run for it, just as the gunfire erupted again behind me. I started to cry hysterically as I ran. I didn't want to die! I never came here with the intention of getting shot! All I wanted to do was have loads of fun with my girlfriend on another of Phineas and Ferb's inventions! Why the hell was this _happening_? And to _me_?

I let out a girlish scream as I made a right, then a left, then another right, then another left. Soon, I was snaking around the tents and stalls, trying to look for an exit, but to no avail. Bodies were everywhere. I tried to distinguish a pattern of the amount of bodies in the walkways in hopes of finding a likely area with an exit, but there was none. There was no mathematical equation, no defining variable of escape! All I saw were just bodies, bodies, and more bodies. More than once did I trip on one in confusion...

My world became dizzy. I didn't know where to go. The festival was _so_ big...

I threw up again and fell to the ground. The gunfire was coming closer. I knew this was the end...

"Baljeet!" I saw Ginger poke her head out from underneath a stall. "Under here, quick!"

I slowly crawled over underneath the draped food stall, just as four gunmen came in, all of them clad in SWAT-like clothing. The new shooter had 'GOD' written on his vest. I couldn't believe this. Was this a game to those guys?

"Man, I've lost track of how much I killed!" 'Apex Predator' exclaimed.

"The cops are outside the festival grounds," warned 'Anarchy'. "I can hear those damn sirens."

"The end's coming. Should we commence with the endgame?"

The _endgame_?

"Not just yet," replied 'God'. "Let's give the cops a warm welcome first. Once it starts getting tight, _then_ it's time to go out in style."

"What should we do, Andrew?" 'Anarchy' asked.

"We split up. You and Ben go to the southern part of the festival. Gabriel and I are gonna go up north. You know what to do."

"We'll see you on the other side, then?"

"Yeah," replied 'Apex Predator'. "See ya on the other side."

"YEE-HAW! LET'S BRING IT ON!"

The other side? My face paled in realization. _This_ was their endgame. This wasn't some sort of horrible terrorist act. It was just a group of psychopaths having what they perceived as fun. Ginger and I watched as 'Anarchy' and 'Rage' walked off in one direction and 'God' and 'Apex Predator' walked off in another.

When it was clear, the two of us cautiously came out from our hiding spot. Other people also emerged from nearby stalls, just as a news helicopter flew past us. We didn't care what it was; everyone waved at it, hoping the pilots would be generous and courageous enough to fly low and save us. But it didn't. We were left to fend for ourselves.

* * *

Everyone was too afraid to move from our current position, so we spent the remaining time hiding underneath the stalls. Once, one of the gunman, the one with 'GOD' on his vest, walked back to our area, but he didn't open fire. Instead, he turned around and walked away. But other than that, the shooters never came back. The gunfire and the explosions were continuing, though. For over an hour, it was hell.

Finally, the gunfire and the explosions just stopped coming. The only noises now were the whirring of helicopter blades.

Another hour later, help finally arrived in the form of the National Guard. I was extremely surprised and shocked that the National Guard had to be called in. I guessed it was that bad. And as we emerged from our hiding places, now safe in the arms of the National Guard, I finally asked the one question that plagued my mind for the entire event.

"Hey, sir? Is my girlfriend Wendy Stinglehopper okay?"

"Wendy Stinglehopper, you say?" the soldier asked.

"Yeah. Is she okay?"

The soldier sighed and replied, "We found someone by that name being tended to by Good Samaritans. Is she a teenager with long brown hair and wearing a ruby necklace?"

"Yes."

The next words snapped my heart in half.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, young sir, but she was dead by the time we arrived."

* * *

_Could we really be much better?_  
_To whom do you compare?_  
_And where will we go when we get there?_

* * *

**A/N:** Oh, jeez, I feel like a sadist writing this. I feel so sorry for everyone, which is ironic, considering that I made them go through this...

Next chapter, we'll actually see Buford's POV.

I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing:

_**NattyMc [Indeed.]**_

_**DEI Caboose [Well, I guess you'll have to see about that later.]**_

_**WordNerb93 [Yeah. I wish this thing was a once- or twice-a-year kind of thing. But unfortunately, with all of the troubled souls of today, that isn't true. I guess this teaches us a lesson to think first before you act.]**_

_**Emmi194**_

_**Cherucha (guest reviewer)**_

_**Out with a Whoosh and a Thunk [I really think that these situations can be prevented with a slightly tighter law on background checks for anyone trying to purchase firearms. And back to your review, since how does this remind you of that fic?]**_

_**sonicboy678**_

_**speedman12 (guest reviewer) [I'm sorry if I made you go through all that, especially with Jeremy. Like I said, you're free to look away.]**_

_**Ddroczzzz [I hope you don't mean it in a sadistic way.]**_

_**person124 [Again, thanks for the suggestion!]**_

_**Randomchick16 [Well, hearing that you guessed Norm being one of the shooters is something I did not expect. **_**XD_]_**

**_2239 (guest reviewer)_**

**_AuricEspeon [Thanks for your review! I liked it!]_**

**_humanusscriptor [Yes, yes you do.]_**

**_shadowayn [I guess this chapter confirms that Ben is one of the shooters. But you never know... _;)_]_**

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	7. My Story: Buford

_**Buford's POV**_

_BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!_******BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**

The moment I heard those sounds, I just stood there like some sort of idiot while everyone else ran. I didn't know what the big deal was. It sounded like someone was just setting off fireworks as a prank, something I would do. The guy that was talking to Dinner Bell, the one who said it was gunshots, I didn't believe the panicky loser. But I probably should've ran like the rest. Because I saw them. The gunmen.

They ran into the scene and then stood there, easily fooling me into thinking they were cops because of their clothing. I was just standing there, straight in their sights. Everyone else was running.

**"DIE, SUCKERS!"**

**__****BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**

By some weird shred of luck, I was never hit. But I saw people beside me getting hit. It made me wanna throw up. I could see the little but disgusting bursts of red coming out of peoples' backs, just before they hit the dirt. Then I finally turned my back and ran. With me were 'Jeet, his girl, Fletcher, Isabella and three of her friends, and that art guy whose name I've forgotten. We were all running as those guns continued to fire off.

_**KA-BOOM!**_

A tent in front of us suddenly blew up, just like something you'd see in an action movie. For some odd reason, everyone was thrown back, including me. Then, one of the shooters walked into the scene, directly in front of us. I could see the word on his vest: 'ANARCHY'. He pointed his gun at us.

"SHIT!" I cried as everyone stood up and tried to run.

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM **__**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM **__**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_!

As soon as I got up, I instantly felt something hit my leg, then another thing hit my butt (yes, that's right, my butt), and then yet another thing hit my hand... Let's just say things hit my leg, my ass, my hand, my arm, my other leg, my other arm...yeah, practically everywhere I can think of. And by another weird piece of golden luck, I'm glad I'm not including the head, although something did tear past my ear, but it wasn't serious, though. It was pain, all over. I knew I was shot; I think some bullets actually went _through_ me. My sight was becoming blurry, then not blurry, then blurry again...Was I _dying_?

I've seen many people get shot in movies. On the screen, it looks awesome and painless. My freakin' God, now I know how it feels to get shot. And believe me, the movie-making guys obviously never got shot before. It's both un-awesome and painful! It felt like I was on fire. But I couldn't move MUCH for some odd reason. Come on, stupid body, move your lazy ass...aw, crap, I'm talking about MYSELF!

I heard an odd, somewhat funny clicking noise. What the...?

"COME ON!" someone screamed.

"I can't leave her!" I recognized that voice as 'Jeet's.

Then, I heard someone running. As the footsteps faded, I heard the classic noise of a gun being reloaded. I closed my eyes, hoping that the guy would think I was dead. I heard slow, heavy footsteps coming closer and closer...

I opened my eye, just a little crack. I could see someone's boot...

SHIT! The guy's standing over _me_!

For some reason, the guy wouldn't go away. I continued to play possum, cursing up a storm in my mind. Dude, I don't wanna die! I now wanna go home and tell my parents I love them! I wanna complete the summer first! I didn't even give 'Jeet his daily wedgie yet! Pretty soon, I've thought up a hundred reasons for me to live and not die. But the guy wouldn't go away. What the hell is he doing, just standing there?

_**BAM!**_

Suddenly, there was no more noise. No more smell. And I was standing up. I opened my eyes, only to see nothing but black. I looked around.

"Hello?" I called.

_Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello?... Hello?... ...Hello?... ...Hello?... ... ... ..._

"Where the hell am I?" I called.

_Where the hell am I? Where the hell am I? Where the hell am I? Where the hell am I?... Where the hell am I?... ...Where the hell am I?... ...Where the hell am I?..._

"Hey, no need to copy me!"

_Hey, no need to copy me! __Hey, no need to copy me!_ _Hey, no need to-_

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

_SHUT THE HELL UP! __SHUT THE-_

"**YYYYYAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!**"

_YYYYYAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! YYYYYAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH! YYYYYAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!_

I tried sitting down, and found that there was ground. It was surprisingly smooth and flat. Too bad there was no sight of furniture that I could chill on. Well, I wouldn't know if there was any because I couldn't see A DAMN THING!

Then...it hit me.

I must be dead.

Is this how the thing they call Heaven looks like? Just..._nothing_? CRAP! Living looks pretty good right now.

"No, no, no, no, NO!" I screamed. "I can't be dead! I don't wanna be dead! I don't wanna live here for the rest of my...death! I wanna go back home, to my life!"

All I could hear was my own voice speaking the same words back to me.

"SHIT! CAN ANYONE _HEAR_ ME?!"

Heck, no! Only yourself!

I sniffled. So, this is how it's gonna be. I'm gonna live in this darkness forever, with no one to accompany me and nothing to entertain myself with. It was just me. Pretty soon, I started crying like a little girl.

"HELP ME!" I screamed. "I WANNA GO BACK TO MY LIFE! SOMEONE, ANYONE, **HELP ME**!"

_**Buford Van Stomm...**_

The voice came from nowhere. I gasped with relief; someone WAS here after all!

"Oh, thank goodness!" I called. "Help me, I wanna go back to my life! I don't wanna be here!"

_**Follow the light...**_

"Light? What light?"

Just then, I saw a speck of white in the darkness all around me. Was it there the whole time? Either way, I walked towards it. There were no other white specks, anyway.

As I walked closer, the white became larger and larger and larger. My walk became a run, and I was soon dashing madly towards the light. Pretty soon, it was all gonna be white...maybe I can go back to my life if I keep running...

It was soon all white. But nothing happened. Fortunately, I could see myself...and I was wearing girlish white clothing!

_**Buford Van Stomm.**_

"AGH! Who the hell are you?" I asked.

_**You will find out when it's time. But for now, it's time for you to go back to the living.**_

Just then, I saw a golden gate emerge from the white. And yet, I saw a large lock on it, keeping it shut. What the hell?

_**But before you go-**_

"AW, CRAP!" I cried. "Just get me back to my life!"

_**Think about it. Do you really **_**want _to go back?_**

"YES! I WANNA GO BACK!"

_**And why is that, Buford Van Stomm?**_

"BECAUSE I WANNA GO BACK AND KICK THE ASS OF THE GUY WHO SHOT ME! THEN, I'LL GO HOME AND tell my parents that I love them and cherish them and that I'll never leave them ever again! Then, I'll go and have fun with my friends! The best of fun! I'll spend _my life cherishing every second of it and making the best of it. I'll make my life worth living, because_..."

I stopped for a second. Tears had been coming from my eyes the entire time. It hit me like a speeding train. I sweat, it really felt like it.

_**Because **_**what_, Buford Van Stomm_**_**?**_

"...Because I've learned that my life _is_ worth living." I smiled proudly. "I really wanna _live_."

Everything suddenly blacked out...

* * *

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

My eyes opened, and I found myself lying on a bed. Weird stuff was at my sides, and the beeping wouldn't stop. I realized I was in a hospital, exactly like the ones you see in sappy drama movies. There was a TV that was on, and it was on one of those news channels...it was reporting on what happened at the festival!

_**"Just yesterday, the Tri-State Area went through the worst day of its history when four gunmen arrived at the Mid-Summer's Festival with a large arsenal of weapons and initiated a chaotic war that not only required police officers and SWAT to stop it, but the National Guard. Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds are injured, and among the casualties are, sadly, brave officers, SWAT, and National Guardsmen who were doing the right thing. Still we don't have any official numbers, as law enforcement officials are still sweeping the festival for more bodies.**_

_**"We have confirmation that all four shooters have committed suicide after unleashing Hell onto the festival for a nightmarish 111 minutes."**_

Well, so much for kicking the ass of the guy who shot me.

_**"**__**Formal identification still hasn't taken place. And just in, we've received confirmed reports that some of the weapons used in the massacre are military-grade, among them a grenade launcher and a machine gun, and likely purchased through the black market.**_

_**"And here, we have aerial shots of the tragedy that happened yesterday."**_

The TV switched to a shot of the festival from above. Jeez, it really _did_ look like Hell. Smoke was rising from several tents, and I could see bodies on the walkways. I watched as lines of fortunate survivors came out of the festival; I sighed in relief when I recognized two of them as Dinner Bell and 'Jeet.

"BUFORD!"

I looked to my left and saw my parents enter the room, large grins on their faces. I think my smile was from ear to ear as the both of them gave me the strongest hug I've ever gotten; I didn't even think I could accomplish such strength.

"Oh my goodness, we're so glad you're okay, son," my dad said.

"I am too," I replied. My smile became even wider. "I love you two."

My parents smiled. "Oh, we love you too, sweetie!" my mom exclaimed, just as she broke down and gave me another seriously strong hug.

"What happened to me?" I asked.

My dad's face paled.

"The doctor said you've been shot many times," he replied.

"Yeah, I noticed."

"Fortunately, none of the bullets hit any vital areas. But one bullet lodged itself in your lower spine. The surgeons stated that there would be a ten-percent chance that removing that bullet would cause paralysis to your legs. We told the surgeons it was okay to remove that bullet. And..." He sighed heavily, and I instantly knew what was coming next. "...you hit the ten-percent chance.

"You're paralyzed from the waist down."

* * *

_'Cause everyone I know_  
_Is reaching for the peak of the volcano_

* * *

**A/N:** Awwwww man, I actually _cried_ while writing this one. At least Buford's okay, but now, his chances of living his life to the fullest are now a bit hindered. Now, the next chapter will be in Irving's POV.

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed:

_**shadowayn [Oh, indeed. Ugh, sometimes I hate writing about them, which is kinda ironic, because I thought of writing about them in the first place. Fortunately, I do NOT mean to glorify their actions.]**_

_**Randomchick16 [Ben's an OC, he wasn't seen on the show as far as I know. As for stories on Linda and Lawrence's POVs, I'm sorry to say that I don't think it's necessary. All of the characters featured on Ch. 2 get their own chapters.]**_

_**sonicboy678 [Good comparison there. Evil in reality is sure something terrifying compared to things you see in books, movies, etc.]**_

_**AuricEspeon [Sorry, no Isabella POV story. You'll find out why.]**_

_**NattyMc [Oh no, don't lose faith in humanity. Just lose faith in the ones that decide to do something EXTREMELY stupid, such as killing innocent people.]**_

_**Speedman12 (guest reviewer) [I shall explain why in future chapters.]**_

_**MsAmiClassified**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z**_

_**WorbNerb93 [Oh yeah, Ginger's clear field will become a subject in the story.]**_

_**person124**_

_**Da Darkest Knight**_

_**medafan 53 [I have no plans on killing Ferb or Perry, I'll tell you that.]**_

_**TheNargana**_

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	8. My Story: Irving

_**Irving's POV**_

_********__**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_

The moment I heard the gunshots sound off right close to me, I immediately sprinted away in the same direction as the other festival attendants. I looked around as I ran, hoping that my brother Albert was running with me. But I couldn't see him anywhere. I prayed in my mind that he was okay. After all, we just had an argument and neither of us apologized for our actions.

As the gunfire continued to go off, I instinctively whipped out my new camera, activated it, and started recording the entire event. I hoped that I would catch something that will be important for the police to see afterwards.

I slowed down, recording the chaos that unfolded. I recorded a line of people running and screaming. I recorded a tent exploding. I recorded someone tripping, but being helped back up by a Good Samaritan. I recorded a shooter firing his weapon from far away, at a different direction, fortunately. Then, I came across two bodies and, for some strange and disturbing reason, started recording them too. I don't know why I was doing that; I knew it was disrespectful, but for some reason, I couldn't turn my camera away from anything and everything. I just recorded and recorded and recorded.

Just then, I recorded one of the shooters coming in my direction. He was clad in clothing that made him look like one of those SWAT agents from TV. He spotted me and pointed his gun at me. I dove out of the way...

And heard a strange _POP_! That was followed by a-

_**KA-BOOM!**_

The force of the explosion knocked me back; I crashed into a stall and bumped my head hard against something made of metal.

It all went black.

* * *

A distant but painful ringing in my ears pulled me back to consciousness, and I opened my eyes, only to be greeted with a blurry vision. My glasses were knocked off. I bent down and started searching for them. The combination of my blurry vision and all of the destroyed, scattered debris made the task of finding my glasses extremely difficult. Just then, I felt a blade slash against my palm, and I jerked my hand back. Something sharp cut my hand. I held my hand against my shirt, underneath my armpit to stop the bleeding...

"Here," a voice said. "You need these?"

In the midst of the foggy vision, I could see the colored outline of my glasses. I took them with my uninjured hand and put them on.

"Thanks," I said.

"My pleasure." I then heard a shotgun rack, and I jerked my head up, gasping. A shotgun was pointed straight at my head, directly between my eyes. My eyes traveled upward and I identified the Good Samaritan who found my glasses as being one of the gunmen. I saw the word 'GOD' written on his vest. I broke out in a sweat.

"Hey, I don't want any trouble," I said, trying my best to stay calm. If fear is what the shooter's looking for, then I didn't wanna give it to him.

"Too bad," the shooter replied. "You've just got it."

I gulped, but I maintained my ground steadily. I didn't flinch, I didn't whimper, I didn't even blink. I just looked straight into the shotgun. For some reason, being brave in the face of a force of destruction seemed easier than I thought.

"Gonna shoot me?" I asked daringly. I knew I was pushing it, but if I was gonna die, I'd rather die like a man!

The shooter lowered his shotgun a bit. "So, you wanna die, eh?" he asked. He was wearing a mask and helmet that covered his entire face, but I could sense the sinister grin of inhumane sadism forming on his face.

"No," I replied. "But if this is the end for me, then I'd die being brave. You're gonna die being a coward."

He aimed the firearm at me again. "And what makes you think that?"

"You're shooting people, huh? That's what cowards do." I puffed my chest out indignantly. "So, go on. Shoot me. Shoot me, like the coward you are!"

The both of us stood there for a few minutes. Time seemed to stand still around us. I started to have seconds thoughts about being an ass to the gunman. The back of my mind started thinking of a highly-unlikely escape plan, its gears whirring fast. But I stood firmly on the ground. The man pulled the trigger...

It was empty.

"DAMN IT!"

I seized my chance. I dove forward, shoving the shooter to the ground, and with brutal force I punched him in the face a few times before standing up and making a mad dash for my life.

_**BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!**_

I was able to dodge the bullets, and I soon made a right and suddenly ran into a line of civilians being escorted out of the festival by police. An officer urged me into the line, and we all ventured out of the hospital, our hands on our heads. After SWAT agents searched us, we all scattered into the crowd of onlookers. I sighed in relief when I recognized Albert was being one of them. I ran into his arms and started crying endlessly, unleashing all of the cowardice that I bottled inside of myself.

"No...no..." I heard someone nearby whisper. Then, that same person screamed out in anguish, "ISABELLA! NO, ISABELLA, _MI HIJA_!"

Me and Albert turned and saw Phineas, Adyson, Phineas's parents, and Isabella's mother. Isabella's mother was on her knees, sobbing uncontrollably, while Adyson was also weeping while the faces of Phineas and his parents were pale.

Suddenly...

"WE'VE GOT A SUSPECT COMING OUT!"

The crowd of onlookers, including me, Albert, and the others, looked at one of the festival entrances, where several SWAT agents and officers had their guns pointed at. I saw one of the gunman calmly walking onto the scene. He was unmasked, his unshaven face sporting wild dark-brown hair and green eyes that were alive with an aura of mania and evil that I could sense from yards away. Something was in his hand...

I looked at his vest. It read 'GOD'. It was the same gunman I encountered earlier.

The shooter removed his vest, then unzipped his jacket. Revealing a large bomb that was strapped to him. The man began to cackle maniacally as everyone screamed and ran. His laugh could be heard to everyone. Then, his final words chilled me to the bone.

"I. AM. **GOD**! **AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YAHOOOO!**"

_**KKKKKAAAAA-BBBBBOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!**_

The large explosion knocked everyone back with extreme force. My world became black once again.

* * *

_Be careful of where you're walking_  
_Beware of what you're wanting_  
_Do you believe you can be strong?_

* * *

**A/N: **:O :O :O ...

I can't believe I just did that.

Well, next chapter, we'll take a break from this brutal, sadistic, dark violence and go to Perry's POV.

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed:

_**Robot Wolf 26Z [Thanks for the review!]**_

_**shadowayn [You never did have to talk about the sick psycho. And I think that calls for an anti-black market force, then.]**_

_**humanusscriptor [Yeah, Ferb will not dead. But he's in a bad position, though, I'll tell ya that.**_**:O]**

_**Randomchick16 [Perry's POV will be depressing yet interesting, I promise that.]**_

_**Emmi194 [In another two chapters.]**_

_**WorbNerb93 [I do like to believe that there's something waiting for us after death, who'll judge us.]**_

_**sonicboy678 [Hm, I listened to that song, and I guess it sounds kinda awkward, considering the rock music and all. But that's just me.]**_

_**Speedman12 (guest reviewer) [No. This story's not canon with the "Evil Phineas" universe.]**_

_**NattyMc [Sorry you feel that way, then.]**_

_**person124 [Yeah, very hard indeed.]**_

_**AuraEsp (guest reviewer) [Yeah, him being paralyzed will be something for him.]**_

Everyone, if anyone of you are devoted viewers of the news, then you should likely know that Iran's just went through a day of terror yesterday. Let us all give out our hearts to the innocent people victimized by what happened and wish the country a fast recovery from this crisis.

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	9. My Story: Perry

**A/N:** WOW! I'm at Chapter 9 already and this fic's close to reaching the 100-review mark! That's kinda surprising, considering the dark subject. But thanks for your kind and heartfelt reviews, guys! Let our hearts go out for anyone suffering greatly, and not just by gun violence.

Now, onto Perry's POV! ENJOY!

* * *

_**Perry's POV**_

_Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated! In the underground!_

Pinky's car stopped alongside a lonely stairway leading up to the DEI basement. I saluted my colleague, got out of the car, and walked up the staircase. After a minute, I found a secret trapdoor above with a keyboard on the wall beside it. I typed down the password, to which the trapdoor opened with a slow creak. As I got entered the DEI basement, I wondered if Doofenshmirtz knew about this trapdoor. ...Nah, not likely.

I made my flight out of the basement and into the reception area. I initially planned to revert to my pet mode in order to sneak past the receptionist and the people loitering in the room, but for some reason, everyone's eyes were glued to the TV. I didn't pay attention; I had my mission to complete. With everyone occupied, I just calmly strolled past everyone and took the elevator. It wasn't hard for a little animal like me to summon the elevator, for some odd and convenient reason, there was also a second set of buttons that were close to my reach. For the little kids, I suppose.

After a silent minute's worth of going up several floors, I heard a _RING_! And then, the elevator doors slid open. I walked out of the elevator and approached the door leading into Doofenshmirtz's lab. With force, I kicked it down and leapt into the lair.

Rope suddenly sprung forward and tied me up, and then a cage fell on top of me, locking me inside it. I noticed there were a lot of locks on it. And then, a glass tube fell and enclosed the cage; the top was open, but it was lined with three sets of spinning blades. The floor surrounding the tube/cage/rope trap also opened up to reveal water full of sharks. A portion of the roof then lowered itself slightly, and then, blades emerged from it, and then, more blades emerged from those blades. The bigger blades then started spinning. Several of the walls then opened up to reveal cannons and missile launchers.

I rolled my eyes. It looks like Doofenshmirtz found enough sense to work out his traps.

Speak of the devil! In came the evil scientist himself.

"What in the world?!" he exclaimed. Then, he spotted me inside this super-trap. "Oh, Perry the Platypus! I see you've come."

To my surprise, he pressed a button on the wall, and all of the traps suddenly retracted back to their places of origin. Doofenshmirtz was _setting me free_? That was odd. Unless he had another trap up his sleeve.

But his next words surprised me even more.

"I know we're supposed to fight today, but I'm gonna throw in the towel already. I'm watching the news."

Doofenshmirtz? Throwing away today's battle between good and evil, just for the news? I stared at him suspiciously, and he noticed my look.

"Oh, I know, Perry the Platypus, you came here to thwart me today. I originally had concocted a scheme involving something about doing regular, ordinary things, but I've long forgotten the purpose of it. This top story came up while I was in the middle of carrying it out, and I was sucked in." He then turned to the TV, and gasped. "AGH! Oh my goodness! What in the world?!"

He leapt onto the nearby armchair, his eyes wide, and I decided to look at the TV that was currently blaring, interested at what made Doofenshmirtz so interested.

My blood ran colder than the Arctic, the Antarctic, and all the other cold places combined the moment I saw the story.

_**"We are still following the live story on the horrific shooting at the Mid-Summer's Festival in Danville Park. At exactly 12:00, local time, four gunmen arrived at the festival, armed with multiple weapons including a grenade launcher and a machine gun, and opened fire on attendants. We have a report of at least six dead and 43 injured, but considering the hour that has passed and the fact that the gunmen are still active inside the festival, these numbers are expected to rise. Due to the military-grade weapons used, even SWAT has been held at bay and are waiting for the National Guard to arrive-"**_

I couldn't believe it the moment I saw it on TV. Four souls were doing _this_ much damage to the community? How come the agents weren't alerted to this? Then, my heart snapped in half when I remembered that Phineas, Ferb, and their friends were supposed to be there. It can't be. This nightmare can't be happening to _them_! I pressed my wristwatch, and Monogram's hologram appeared on it.

"Yes, Agent P?" he asked.

I showed Monogram the TV screen. To my shock, Monogram just crossed his arms and looked at me, an eyebrow raised.

"Don't fall for it, Agent P. Probably a cock-bull ruse cooked up by Doofenshmirtz to lure you away while he finishes up with his scheme. Now, get to your senses and thwart him before the Tri-State Area falls before him!"

Monogram wasn't buying it? It doesn't look like the ruse Doofenshmirtz would make, not even close! To my relief, the villain noticed my predicament and came to my side.

"No, Major Monobrow!" he exclaimed. "This isn't a trap of mine! It's seriously real! I was in the middle of completing my Inator when this came up on the TV!"

"Don't spit lies at me, Doofenshmirtz," snarled Monogram. My lower bill dropped open. Why isn't he believing me, or Doofenshmirtz?

_"Turn on the TV, Major!"_ I chattered. But I face-palmed myself the moment his frown became more pronounced; obviously he didn't understand me.

"This is no time to fall for such nonsense!" the major barked. "Agent P, defeat Doofenshmirtz! Otherwise I'm gonna have to ask you to turn in your fedora and OWCA badge!"

I instantly threw my fedora and my badge onto the floor. There was no way Monogram was gonna believe me. Both Monogram and Doofenshmirtz gasped.

"AGENT P!" berated Monogram, but before he could say any further, I switched off the watch and took out a platypus-sized notepad, writing something down on the paper. I then showed it Doofenshmirtz.

_"Take me to Danville Park, NOW!"_

"D-D-Did you see the TV?" Doofenshmirtz asked, flabbergasted. "It's a living nightmare there!"

I wrote down, _"JUST DO IT!"_

"Okay, okay! Yeesh! NORM!"

Doofenshmirtz's robotic servant walked into the room. "Yes, Dad?"

"I'm not your dad, okay? Now, turn into your car form and take Perry the Platypus and me to Danville Park, pronto!"

"Yes, Dad!" replied Norm cheerfully.

* * *

Norm sped down the street at high speeds, with Doofenshmirtz in the driver's seat and myself in the passenger seat. I dearly hoped that Phineas and Ferb were okay; those two are such bright, optimistic kids and to have such a terrifying experience be thrust upon them without warning was unthinkable. I don't care if I had to sacrifice my job as an OWCA agent. I _have _to save my owners! I'll deal with Monogram later.

Wait a minute...

I pressed a button on my wristwatch, and soon, the trembling hologram of Pinky appeared.

_"Did you see the news, Perry?"_ he barked in question.

_"Yes," _I replied. _"I'm betting you're on your way to the festival too."_

_"Yeah. Poofenplotz is taking me there."_

_"Same with Doofenshmirtz. We'll meet you there."_

_"Copy that." _Before I could switch off the watch, Pinky noticed something. _"Hey, where's your fedora?"_

_"It's a long story. I'll tell you later."_

I shut off the watch.

"Who was that?" asked Doofenshmirtz. "Another of your animal friends from the OWCA?"

I nodded, then I wrote down, _"He's coming to meet us with his own arch-nemesis."_

"Just exactly _what_ do you plan to do about this, Perry the Platypus?"

I fell silent. I absolutely had no idea.

* * *

After several minutes, the streets suddenly became clogged with slow-moving traffic. I tapped my foot impatiently, knowing that there was no time for such delay. Every minute that passed, Phineas and Ferb were in greater danger. Doofenshmirtz began honking Norm's horn, and as he did so, I looked at him admirably. For an arch-nemesis, he sure was doing everything he can to get me to my destination. This wasn't the first time he displayed such kindness. Sometimes I wonder why he's an evil scientist.

Just then, a police officer arrived and I went into my pet mode, chattering innocently as the officer addressed Doofenshmirtz.

"Sir, we're gonna have to reroute you. There's a huge situation going on at Danville Park, and for the safety of any passers-by, we will have to get you on another road."

"No, you don't understand, officer," protested Doofenshmirtz. "Perry the Platypus and I have to get to the park."

"Sorry sir, no can do," replied the officer. "Trust me, we have everyone's best interests at heart. However, I must advise you to change your pet-walking schedule for another day. I'm sorry, sir."

Doofenshmirtz looked at me, and I looked back at him with pleading eyes. He then flashed a tiny grin and then faced the officer.

"Nothing personal, officer, but this is _urgent_. Go, Norm!"

Norm transformed into his robot form, and Doofenshmirtz and I wound up in his hands. The robot literally skipped away as numerous people watched.

"Look at me, Dad!" Norm cried. "I'm skipping!"

"Yeah, yeah, that's nice, Norm," replied Doofenshmirtz nonchalantly. He then winked at me, and I smiled back.

* * *

The moment Norm arrived at the Danville Park, we were greeted with a terrifying sight.

Numerous people were lying on the ground in or near the parking lot, all either unconscious or...I couldn't even bear to say the word. There was a big spot that looked like it was hit by a nuclear bomb or something. Ambulances surrounding the area were taking in people. I looked around desperately, hoping to see Phineas and Ferb, alive and well. Then, I saw them.

Phineas, Linda, and Lawrence, being hoisted into ambulance vehicles on stretchers. They were bloodied, and their eyes were closed.

I let out a chatter that you would call a scream of agony. I didn't know if they were dead or just unconscious, but to see them in such a condition was painful enough. Tears started falling down my face, and I realized that I was crying for probably the first time in such a while. I was trained to be tough and emotionless, but this...this was the _breaking point_ for me.

"I'm so sorry, Perry the Platypus."

I looked and saw Doofenshmirtz looking at me with sad eyes. I nodded with understanding and watched as the ambulances drive away.

Just then, I heard a voice shout, "FREEZE!"

Norm turned around, and we saw the same police officer coming for us, accompanied by a few others. The robot activated his foot-mounted rocket boosters and we flew off into the sky. I looked down, and I could see the festival, the many columns of smoke rising from it, the ruined tents, the blazing fires. It was a pure hell done there. A hell that would haunt me forever.

* * *

_'Cause we can burn it all down_  
_Spread that fire around_  
_Cover it up with pounds of ash_

* * *

**A/N:** *sniffles* Oh, I feel for you, Perry, I do.

The next chapter will be focused on Adyson's POV. And it's gonna be a dark one. You have been warned.

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed:

_**Robot Wolf 26Z**_

_**WordNerb93 [I like to think so too. May all evil who die be judged strictly at the hands of God.]**_

_**NattyMc**_

_**sonicboy678**_

_**Galaxina-the-Seedrian [And it'll probably start racing even more by the next chapter.]**_

_**Randomchick16**_

_**Grimbeeper**_

_**person124 [Ugh, yeah. Obviously the guy's delusional. But of course I'd know that; I wrote it all down!]**_

_**shadowayn [It is indeed scary. I sometimes wish that the world would become a utopia, where peace reigns.]**_

_**Guest reviewer**_

_**Speedman12 (guest reviewer) [Actually, I didn't kill Irving, I'll tell you that. He just got seriously wounded by that bomb.]**_

_**Monkey Lover 422 [Sad indeed. And it has to be realistic too...]**_

UGH! What is wrong with the world? Some maniac in Texas just shot and killed two people and injured several more. Something a little gun control and black market checkup could've solved! And what is wrong with _me_? I planned to update another fic of mine, but I just came to this one instead. Sometimes I scare myself.

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	10. My Story: Adyson

**A/N:** Now, the chapter everyone's been waiting/dreading for: Adyson's POV! As I write this, I am listening to Miley Cyrus's "The Climb". I never really listen to Miley Cyrus songs, but I just heard this on the radio last night and I just got sucked in. I kinda find it an appropriate song for this fic. And it's weird that I like this kind of song; I'm a boy, and I from what I see from school, boys are more into rock music, not pop songs. In fact...I'm a fan of several pop songs... Yeah...awkward...

Nine chapters and 111 reviews? Like I said in the last chapter, it's kinda surprising that this story's popular, with the dark yet realistic material being dealt with here and all. Either way, thanks everyone, for the great (and quite philosophical) reviews!

Enough nonsensical rambling! Onto Chapter 10. ENJOY! And not in a sadistic way, please.

* * *

_**Adyson's POV**_

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_

The moment I heard the first round of gunshots, right close to me, I instantly ran in the same direction as the rest of the festival attendants. My knowledge of what to do in this kind of situation kicked in like an instinct; my overprotective mother has always been instructing me on what to do if something like this happens. Plus, I learned some key facts of survival while on a week-long camping trip with my family. Just keep running and don't look back.

I examined all of the people running in front of me and beside me. I could identify Django, Isabella, Ginger, Milly, Ferb, Baljeet, Wendy, and Buford, but that was all. I prayed in my mind that the rest of my friends were all right.

_**KA-BOOM!**_

A tent in front of us suddenly exploded, and the force of the explosion sent everyone to the ground, including me. I instantly stood up the moment I saw one of the shooters calmly walk into the scene. I prepared to run when I saw something that I'll never forget.

The gunman pointed his weapon at several people and opened fire. In small flashes of red, people fell back down to the ground and didn't move again. Then, I watched with terror as the guy aimed his gun at Milly, who let out a small scream before a single _**BAM!**_brought her to the ground. It was so _quick_, it looked just unreal.

"SHIT!"

I saw Buford make a run for it.

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM **__**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM **__**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_!

Buford was a big guy for his age, and though it took several gunshots to bring him down, I was still shocked and horrified to see a guy I've known for years just fall in a hail of bullets. I took a quick glance at the gunman, and for some odd reason, he didn't appear to notice me.

Instead, he aimed his gun at two people I identified as Baljeet and Wendy. I saw several more flashes of red and Wendy fell to the ground, blood flowing from her back. Baljeet then stood there and looked at Wendy in shock, looking almost as oblivious as Phineas to Isabella's flirtatious personality towards him. The shooter pointed his gun at him and pulled the trigger, but it was empty. Suddenly, Ginger appeared and clutched Baljeet's hand.

"COME ON!" she screamed.

"I can't leave her!" Baljeet cried in response, looking at Wendy.

Ginger instantly pulled Baljeet away from Wendy's body and the two started running. I regained my senses and prepared to run with them, but then, I stopped in my tracks the moment I felt a stone-cold aura surround me. The shooter spotted me. And he had reloaded his gun.

A hand suddenly grabbed mine with a vice-like grip and pulled me away, just as the shooter opened fire, hitting the stand behind me. My savior and I started running as fast as we can, and we kept running for several minutes until we reached a small tent and took cover under a table.

"Thank you so much!" I exclaimed between pants. Suddenly, I was enveloped in a hug that was accompanied by a fearful squeak. My savior was Isabella.

"Did you see Phineas?" she asked hopefully.

"I don't know. The moment the gunshots first started, I just ran. He wasn't with me the whole time."

Isabella bit her lower lip fearfully, just as three more teenagers, two girls and one boy, ran into the tent and took cover under another table. I identified them as Jordan Silva, her boyfriend Pedro Martinez, and her friend Julie Smith, all of them good friends of ours.

"Psst! Over here!" I whispered. Jordan, Pedro, and Julie all spotted me and crawled over under our table.

"OMG, we're gonna die!" Julie cried hysterically. She was close to breaking down in tears. Isabella patted Julie's back comfortably.

"It's okay, Julie," she said, "we're not gonna die."

Julie started sobbing. "T-Th-They s-shot J-Jimmy!" Jimmy was Julie's boyfriend, and possibly one of the best boyfriends in the world due to his devotion to her. My face became pale; people I knew were getting shot by these maniacs and we're sitting here like ducks.

"It's okay, Julie, _nothing's_ gonna happen," Isabella said. "It's all gonna be okay."

"HEY, EVERYBODY!"

The five of us looked at the tent entrance and saw four men standing there, all holding guns and clad with SWAT agent-like clothing. My heart started racing; our table wasn't covered with a drape. The shooters would easily spot us... And that was when I noticed the five of us weren't alone. There were other people hiding underneath other tables nearby, all of which weren't draped, unfortunately.

We watched with terror as one of the gunmen walked towards the nearest table, where two women were hiding.

_**BAM! BAM!**_

Both women fell.

Another shooter walked over to another table, where a man was hiding. There seemed to be a skip in the guy's step.

_**BAM!**_

The man fell, blood oozing from his forehead. Julie started to whimper nonstop, with Isabella continuously comforting her while her eyes were closed.

"No, no, no!" a female voice cried. "I'm not dying here!"

I watched as a woman emerged from underneath the table she was hiding and made a run towards another entrance in the tent.

_**BAM!**_

The woman fell, and one of the gunmen cackled.

"WHOO!"

Julie couldn't hold it in anymore and let out a pained scream to accompany her sobbing. Two of the gunmen looked directly at us and started walking over to our table. Isabella, Julie, Jordan, and I all screamed while Pedro ushered us out of the table.

_**BAM!**_

Pedro fell to the ground, his eyes staring directly into mine. They were blank and lifeless. Jordan let out a blood-curdling, ear-shattering scream.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" one of the gunmen laughed maniacally, while the other pointed his gun at us.

"NO! NO, GO AWAY!" Julie screamed.

"Hi, how are ya?" asked one of the gunmen. The word 'APEX PREDATOR' was written on his vest.

"GO AWAY, PLEASE!"

"Oh, go away, go away, boo-hoo, boo-hoo!" the other gunman replied tauntingly; the word 'ANARCHY' was written on his vest. "**AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA**!"

"THIS IS NOT FUNNY!" shrieked Isabella bravely.

"This is not funny, this is not funny!" repeated 'Apex Predator' in a mock-baby voice.

Just then, I heard something move. The gunmen's attention was diverted to something else.

"No, no, no!" I heard a male voice cry.

_**BAM!**_

'Apex Predator' and 'Anarchy' moved away from us, as did the other two gunmen. I heard a pained groaning mingled with crying. Then...

_**BAM!**_

I didn't hear the man speak again.

"NO, DAVE!" I heard a woman scream.

"Ah, don't worry. I'll send you to join him."

"NO-"

_**BAM BAM BAM!**_

"Dude, this is getting boring. Let's take this somewhere else."

"Yeah, let's go."

We watched the four gunmen walk out of the tent, and I let out a sigh of relief.

Big mistake. One of the gunmen stopped and said, "Wait, I wanna take care of something, first."

"Alright. We'll see ya at the food court, Andrew."

The remaining shooter walked back into the tent, and I saw the word written on his vest: 'GOD'. He looked at us, and I could sense the malicious smile forming on his face. He then pointed a weird-looking gun at us and...

_**BAM!**_

Jordan fell, blood flowing from her chest. Julie and I both screamed, while Isabella remained tight-lipped and just looked at the gunman in the eye.

_**BAM! BAM! BAM!**_

Julie and Isabella both fell within split-seconds of each other. Just after the third _**BAM!**_ I saw a tiny part of Isabella's forehead explode in a flash of red. The red was coming towards me, and my face was suddenly drenched in something. I just sat there, looking as mindless as Phineas and Ferb's pet platypus Perry. I didn't feel any pain of any kind for some reason...three of my good friends were lying before me, motionless and bloodied...

I heard the gunman leave. But I didn't move, and not out of fear. I just sat there, staring off blankly, blinking stupidly. The bodies of my friends were before me. The strange fluid was dripping down my face. One of fingers twitched occasionally. I sat in this position for many minutes, and I never knew how long I've been in that tent, with death all around me. All I know is that I just sat there like an oblivious idiot.

* * *

Finally, after what I assumed to be an hour's worth of waiting, I heard people rushing in. The moment I saw the barrel of a gun intrude the space under the table, I screamed, believing the shooters came back to the tent. But then, I recognized the military fatigues instantly, for my father, a former Marine, kept his fatigues in the closet. A stern but gentle face peeked under the table.

"It's okay, it's okay!" the man said comfortably.

He slowly pulled me out from under the table and wiped the fluid off my face, while another man inspected my friends' bodies. I took a quick glimpse of the cloth that wiped my face, and all I saw on it was red. I was immediately escorted out of the tent, where I saw a group of SWAT agents and soldiers rounding up civilians into a line. I became a part of the line, just as the units guided us out of the festival. I could still hear the terrible sounds of gunfire and explosions going on in the background.

After a few minutes, we finally left the nightmare of the Mid-Summer's Festival. I could see a large crowd of onlookers, peeking over one another to see if their loved ones were coming out. I couldn't recognize my parents or my little sister among the crowd. But I instantly recognized Phineas, his parents Linda Flynn and Lawrence Fletcher, and (to my horror) Isabella's mother Vivian. Phineas spotted me and waved at me desperately.

"ADYSON!" he called. "ADYSON, OVER HERE!"

I ran to them, just as they noticed the red that stained my clothes. I could still smell a vague tint of Isabella's blood. Vivian was trembling, her face terribly pale.

"Do you know what happened to the others?" Phineas asked.

I didn't respond. I just didn't know what to tell them, of what horrible, graphic, nightmarish things I've just seen. My lip began to tremble.

"Adyson? Do you know what happened to the others?" asked Phineas again.

My eyes began to water. The pressure of horror was mounting. I might as well explode like a bomb. What color there was left in Phineas's once-bright face drained away like water from an open sink-drain; he began to realize the worst.

"Who got shot, Adyson? Which of our friends _got shot_?"

I didn't wanna tell him that I saw Isabella, or Buford, or anyone else for that matter, getting shot by the maniac calling himself 'God'. He may not have a crush on him, but she was his best friend, she always has been ever since they first met at a very young age.

But then again, I really didn't have to tell him. He would find out anyway, in just a few minutes.

Suddenly, Phineas seized my shirt and started shaking me roughly.

"TELL ME, ADYSON! DID ANY OF OUR FRIENDS GET **SHOT**?" Phineas demanded as his parents pulled him away from me.

I couldn't take it anymore: I began to break down in a well of tears. "I-I saw it a-all! A-All of it!" I finally replied.

Vivian approached me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Adyson?" she asked. "Is Isabella okay?"

I looked up at Vivian, the mother of one of my best friends in the entire world, practically one of my surrogate mothers. How in the world was I supposed to tell her, of all the people, that she won't be seeing her daughter alive _ever again_? But I really didn't have to. My amplified crying did the duty for me.

"No...no..." I heard Vivian whisper. I looked up and watched as she then fell on her knees and scream with anguish, "ISABELLA! NO, ISABELLA, _MI HIJA_!"

Suddenly...

"WE'VE GOT A SUSPECT COMING OUT!"

The crowd of onlookers, including me and the others, looked at one of the festival entrances, where SWAT agents and officers had their guns pointed at. I saw one of the gunman walking onto the scene without a care in the world. His mask was off, revealing his unshaven face, which sported wild dark-brown hair and green eyes that were alive with inhuman evil that I could actually sense from yards away. Something was in his hand; whatever it was, it had some sort of button...

I looked at his vest. It read 'GOD'. It was the same madman who killed Isabella, Julie, and Jordan.

The shooter removed his vest, then unzipped his jacket.

I gasped. The vest revealed a large bomb that was strapped to him. The man began to cackle maniacally as everyone screamed and ran, including me. His laugh could be heard to everyone. I'll never forget those last words, last words that only a person originating from the depths of hell, maybe even Satan, would say.

"I. AM. **GOD**! **AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YAHOOOO!**"

_**KKKKKAAAAA-BBBBBOOOOOOOOOOMMMMM!**_

* * *

_Now I saw that lava blooming_  
_Red stems and thorns are shooting_  
_What are we doing standing here?_

* * *

**A/N:** I am _finally_ done writing the graphic Part I! Now, next chapter will be the transition to Part II, which will focus on the drama of the aftermath of this tragic incident. It'll be less violent, yet more dramatic and depressing, so get some more tissue boxes ready, just in case!

I'd like to thank all of those kind enough to review:

_**sonicboy678**_

_**WordNerb93 [I know! It somehow has this aura that attracts readers into the story!]**_

_**shadowayn**_

_**Randomchick16 [Yep, everything's gradually revealed in the "My Story" chapters. And there's still some facts to reveal for me, so stay tuned!]**_

_**humanusscriptor [And I'm betting that by this point you've run out of tissues.]**_

_**Speedman12 (guest reviewer) [I know! Stupid Monogram (excuse me, Mono**_**brow_)!]_**

_**FerbFlecher151**_

_**Da Darkest Knight [I am currently working on the next chapter. For some reason, "Simpsons" is harder to write than P&F.]**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z [...Sorry about that...]**_

_**Out with a Whoosh and a Thunk**_

_**person124**_

_**Flying Liberty [Why, thanks for this review! It's descriptive and quite philosophical, which I like very much!]**_

_**Monkey Lover 422**_

A relieved TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	11. Prologue: Part II

**Ron Goldmann:** Good morning, citizens of Danville. Our top story.

**Anita Weston: **Today marks the one-month anniversary of the deadliest day in the history of Danville and the Tri-State Area, and also one of the deadliest days in the history of the United States. On July 16, 2015, at exactly 12:00 p.m., four gunmen armed with a multitude of weapons, including a grenade launcher and a machine gun, arrived at the annual Mid-Summer's Festival and opened fire on attendants. After 111 minutes of what has been described as a living nightmare, all four shooters committed suicide by blowing themselves up with bombs of complex design after being surrounded by authorities. 35 people have been killed in the massacre, with an additional 132 people injured, many of them seriously. Today, Danville's longtime mayor Roger Doofenshmirtz had this to say:

**Roger Doofenshmirtz **_(via recording)_**: **One month ago today, we were all reminded most unceremoniously that even the worst of tragedies can happen in a tranquil town such as this one. The occurrence shall serve as a beacon of sadness and grief for the people of the Tri-State Area, but also of learning that we must live life to its fullest and that every second of our lives must be taken for granted. I would like to thank everyone all around the world for their heartfelt condolences and the armed forces that helped put a stop to this nightmare before it could go any further.

**Anita Weston:** Rather expectedly, this prompted arguments between pro-gun rights organizations and pro-gun control organizations.

**Dave Green **_(via recording)_**:** We at the NRA are shocked by the misuse of firearms, but this is another reminder that this tragedy could've been stopped if civilians were allowed to carry their own guns at locations marked for psychopaths who want to gain attention through violence.

**Hank Carter** _(via same recording)_**:** That's a load of *censored*, Green! This tragedy is yet another reminder that this tragedy could've been prevented if laws regulating gun control were passed!

**Dave Green:** When will you people at CSGV learn that _strengthened gun rights_ are the way-to-go for the safety of the common man?

**Hank Carter:** No, the NRA needs to learn that _gun control_ is the perfect solution to these tragedies! The tragedy at Danville was the fifth massacre _that week_ at the time! All because of ignorant government officials turning their back on the people that NEEDED them to ensure their SAFETY!

**Ron Goldmann:** The furious debate continued on for several hours. Plus, the incident has also sparked a string of copycat crimes, most of them thwarted. We told you last night of the latest incident of such, in which a 32-year-old man arrived at a fair with a shotgun and shot three people, two of them fatally, before being shot to death by security guards.

**Anita Weston:** The tragedy has also prompted a rise in gun sales. A recent survey shows that gun sales in the Tri-State Area have risen by forty-five percent.

**Ron Goldmann:** Ironically, accompanying the aftermath of the massacre, the arguments between pro-gun rights and pro-gun control advocates, and the copycat crimes is a month's worth of large, gray clouds and mild showers. A sign of God's sadness over this madness that continues even after. This weather is expected to continue for about the next month or so.

**Anita Weston:** Now, onto our next story...

* * *

_**Phineas's POV**_

One month. That's how long it's been ever since that tragedy of the Mid-Summer's Festival. But to everyone in Danville and the Tri-State Area, it feels like that nightmare happened just yesterday. But who could blame them? I wouldn't. I still have nightmares about that day. I am all alone in my bedroom, sitting on Ferb's bed. It still felt so odd and extremely uncomfortable spending the days without my stepbrother, who is still in a coma at the local hospital. The doctors say it might be a while till he finally recovers.

But the suffering doesn't end here; in fact, it gets worse. My mom's dead. When that man blew himself up, a large piece of his bomb flew and hit her in the head. It was a quick death, fortunately. Unfortunately, she was the only one killed in that bombing. Dozens of others, including me and Dad (who is currently downstairs, still sobbing), survived with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Her death was _exactly_ like the death of my dad, my _real_ dad; he was killed in an accidental gas explosion that killed only him and injured seventeen others. First, my dad is the only fatality of a tragic explosion, and then, my mom's killed in the same way. And worse yet, it was no accident: it was committed by a maniac who saw the suffering and death of many as fun and enjoyment. Now, I only have one real relative in my life: my sister Candace. And she's still traumatized by the near-death of her boyfriend Jeremy, who's still bed-ridden after recently completing a complex surgery.

And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. I learned the official cause of Isabella's death from her mother: two gunshot wounds, one in the heart, the other in the head. I never got to tell her my true feelings towards her. And I never will.

Many of my friends are gravely injured or dead. Both of my real parents are dead, and I now only have a father to rely on, a father who I'm not even related to. My brother and my greatest friend is in the hospital, comatose and unable to respond to anything. My crush and good friend died never knowing how I felt for her. The innocence of summer is lost forever.

I collapse on Ferb's bed and start crying.

* * *

_**Baljeet's POV**_

It's been a month since Wendy's death. I would come to learn that she was shot over a dozen times in many parts of her body and died by bleeding to death. If only I stayed behind to care for her injuries...she would've at least died by my side. I'm sitting at the family table, alone. My parents have gone out to purchase items for Wendy's funeral; they graciously offered the best of their assistance to her parents for the occasion.

I look down at the ruby necklace I gave her for her birthday (which, quite sadly, was also the day she died). There was a large crack on it, caused by a bullet graze. I began to weep, for I knew that this lovely necklace, which I have spent many weeks saving up my allowance in order to buy, is all that I have to remember my girlfriend now, and the crack is a painful reminder that she's no longer alive and no longer with me. Quite symbolic, isn't it?

I then look out of the front window to see if my parents' car was pulling up on the parkway. It wasn't. I stood up and walked over to the kitchen. There, on the counter, was a shiny knife, lying near the sink. It had been lying there for a month now; my mom was preparing dinner when she saw the news and instantly forgot all about it. I picked it up and looked into it; I could see my reflection, especially my red, pained, teary eyes. As I adjusted the knife a little, the sunlight caused the metal to glint, and the moment the glint vanished, I thought I saw Wendy's reflection standing behind me, just for a split-second, but it was gone. I knew I was hallucinating. I couldn't take this madness anymore. I brought the knife to my wrist and...

...Then put it back on the kitchen counter. I couldn't do it. Wendy wouldn't want me to do this to myself.

I just sat back down on the kitchen table and continued looking at the ruby necklace.

Wendy's dead, I kept thinking, and if I didn't run away, I would've probably done something about her wounds. I broke down, my crying becoming the only sound in the house.

* * *

_**Buford's POV**_

UGH! It's _so_ hard to move a wheelchair! Even after a month, I still couldn't get used to the damn thing. Being paralyzed sucks. Why the hell did I get paralyzed, anyway? What was the point?! I had a ninety-percent chance of moving perfectly despite all of those gunshots. And yet, I hit the remaining ten percent. Now, I can no longer play football, I can no longer perform wedgies and noogies on nerds, and I can no longer recklessly drive my sweet ride.

Paralysis wasn't the only problem that bugged me after what went down at the festival. The other problem was what I experienced during my 'death'. Was that really Heaven? Did I really speak to God? Are all of the things in the big book, which I have once called crap, _true_? I didn't tell anyone of what I saw. I was so confused, and besides, opening up really wasn't a part of my character.

But I still remain both confused and amazed.

* * *

_**Irving's POV**_

A hero. That's what people have been calling me for a month.

I had long forgotten about my new camera, which I used to record the massacre at the Mid-Summer's Festival. I initially thought it was destroyed as I was briefly knocked out by that explosion. But it wasn't. And it recorded my entire conversation with one of the gunmen, the one that called himself 'God'. My courageous actions. It was soon discovered by officers storming the festival, and some rookie looking for attention gave it to the press. Pretty soon, all of the news channels, both local and national, broadcast my video, including my encounter with the shooter. Everyone called me a hero for standing up to that guy and even attacking him. I received visits from the mayor of Danville, the governors of the Tri-State Area, and even the President, who gave me a medal for my bravery. Not to mention hundreds of fans, mostly girls and reporters.

Finally, the attention was too much for me and my family and we shut ourselves away from the press. But there was still a considerable crowd loitering outside, waiting for me or someone else to come out. The news continues to mention me and my actions, praising them.

But I don't think I'm a hero. What kind of hero then runs for his life, while the shooter later blows himself up and kills a woman in the process? A woman who happened to be the mother of one of my greatest idols, Phineas Flynn. I should've just beaten the guy to death. At least one innocent life would be spared in exchange for one life that never was innocent at all. And to top it all, many more people were also injured. Some of them are still in the hospital, clinging onto life desperately. Like my brother Albert. I didn't get the chance to apologze to him for my stalker-like actions that creeped him out.

I'm no hero.

* * *

_**Perry's POV**_

It's been a month since my resignation. And in the wake of the massacre, things weren't going so well for me.

The OWCA came under intense fire from the government for ignoring warnings relayed by agents who stumbled upon the news channels. After all, it was an organization established to combat the forces of evil. Monogram and the other superiors received most of the backlash, being cited for failing to consider the opinions of both their agents and the villains who supported the fact that the shooting wasn't connected to them. According to Pinky, there have been rumors amongst the OWCA agents that the superiors will be fired from their jobs and the agents will be suspended in the process.

While I didn't mind about my position in the OWCA, for I no longer have any, I felt bad for the others at the headquarters. The superiors will have to find other, more menial jobs, while the agents will have to live their lives without putting their fighting skills to use again. I especially felt bad for Pinky, who no longer had his loving, doting owner and now had to rely upon an emotionally-shattered, practically frail woman.

As for myself, I had my own private problems. I felt like I failed my host family. Linda was dead, Ferb was in a coma, and Phineas, Candace, and Lawrence were now grieving each and every day. I should've been there for them, to protect them. But I was so preoccupied with the mission to battle Doofenshmirtz that I lost sight of what was really going on while I left the Flynn-Fletcher household every day. It was a regret that split my heart in half.

I hated saying this, but there was a bright side to all of this: Doofenshmirtz and all of the other villains in the Tri-State Area (and presumably the rest of the country) were so shocked by the overload of evil that went into the massacre that they decided to take a break from committing evil out of respect for the victims. A hope that they might even decide to retire rose within me.

But the downsides easily outnumbered the upsides. The day of the Mid-Summer's Festival massacre would be something I'll, unfortunately, never forget.

* * *

_**Adyson's POV**_

The past month has been a hell for me, for two reasons.

Reason number one: my cousin Ben is dead.

You'd probably think he was another victim of the massacre. You'd be gravely mistaken. He was one of the four shooters. That's right, he was one of the killers. I never saw it coming, and when it did, it dealt a great, traumatic blow to my face. For my entire life, Ben was my greatest friend, practically a brother to me. He was the only cousin I liked; the rest were all girls and acted like girls while I was more of a tomboy.

At first, when the officers told my family Ben was one of the gunmen, I instantly believed it was because of the crowd he hung out with. His friends were all creepy and practically Goths. I've always knew they were a bad influence on him. After all, one of his friends, Tyler Shaw, was also one of the shooters; he obviously pressured Ben in joining him. But I eventually learned there was more to his motivation: he was heavily depressed after having lost his parents in a car accident, which he survived. Seeing his parents die in a flash was very traumatic for him, and in this tragic period of his life, he was taken advantage of by Tyler.

Reason number two: everyone blames me and my family for Ben's actions, and the reasons behind their behavior were justified.

An advocate of the Second Amendment, my dad had a collection of guns, a total of fifteen of them. Pistols, shotguns, rifles, you name it. All of them were stolen the morning before the shooting, with most of them used in the event. My dad kept all of his guns in a secured locker, but it appeared that Ben or Tyler found out the combination of the lock, as there were no signs of tampering with the lock. I like to think it was Tyler who found it out.

And if the access to the guns wasn't enough, this was: now that we looked at it, the warning signs were flashing right in front of our faces the entire time. Once an upbeat, fun-loving boy, Ben was now a depressed, easily annoyed teenager prone to violent outbursts of anger when he moved in with us. He had a habit of stealing my new camera and recording himself ranting on about how much he hated everyone for being so happy and joyous compared to him. And of course, he hung out with Tyler and those Goth friends of his. Once, the group made a violent video that I'd rather not go into, in Phineas and Ferb's backyard. It was all there. And we ignored it, dismissing it all as just tell-tale signs of a depression that we thought was _way_ less severe than it actually was.

I still can't believe Ben did this horrific thing, and I can't believe I didn't notice the warning signs and helped him. Well, I've always helped him, but I guess not as much as I thought.

For the past month now, people have always been gathering around my house and pelting it with rotten eggs, tomatoes, and even furniture. We've now moved to my maternal aunt's to escape the unpopularity, and I'm sharing a room with my cousin Carrie. Just like how Ben shared my room when he moved in. The events have reminded me of the times I spent with Ben, times that now prompt me to weep. Everyone is crying at the loss, except for my little sister Joyce.

Joyce. She's only five, and like any typical five-year-old child, she believes Ben left on a long vacation. She doesn't know what really happened. Joyce also loved Ben dearly, and my family made the decision to hide the truth from her until she became older. In fact, I think she deserves to not know the truth at all.

I wish I were in her place. That way I don't have to know of the nightmare that happened because of me.

* * *

_Everyone I know_  
_Is reaching for the peak of the volcano_  
_Everyone I know, everyone I know, everyone I know_  
_Is reaching for the peak of the volcano_

* * *

**A/N:** And that's the prologue to Part II. It really sets the tone to the aftermath, doesn't it?

I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:

_**WordNerb93 [Another philosophical review from you, which I love!]**_

_**Randomchick16 [You'll find out why...]**_

_**Monkey Lover 422 [Why, thanks!]**_

_**shadowayn**_

_**humanusscriptor**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z**_

_**Out with a Whoosh and a Thunk**_

_**sonicboy678 [Too true indeed...]**_

_**8ami [Thanks for your review! I loved it!]**_

_**Speedman12 (guest reviewer) [Sorry about that, but it's part of the story. Again, sorry.]**_

_**person124 [Here's Part II!]**_

_**Da Darkest Knight**_

_**TheNargana [Sorry about that.]**_

_**Flying Liberty**_

_**Jmancman [Well, that's philosophical.]**_

_**TheNargana (chapter 9 review) [Sorry, but Isabella's dead.]**_

_**DetectiveLion**_

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	12. Before and After

**A/N:** Before I begin this chapter, I must tell you something that I forgot to mention in the last chapter. If you noticed, I didn't put in a section dedicated to Candace's POV. Well, that was intentional, for she practically has the same problems as Phineas, save for the whole Jeremy situation. To put a section like that in there seemed a bit redundant to me.

Now, onto Chapter 12. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

_**Sweetwater Camera POV  
August 10, 2014  
01:07:38 A.M.  
11 months, 6 days prior to the massacre**_

_(begin videotape. Ben Sweetwater is looking at the camera)._

**Ben Sweetwater:** Everyone's asleep in the house right now. _(looks up briefly)_ I am using my cousin's camera to record this. I technically didn't steal it; I'm still in her room. ...A room _I_ have to share with her. _(sighs heavily, licks his lip a bit) _I'm pretty sure you know this already, but my parents are dead from a car accident, and I was there, right smack in the car when it happened. I saw it all. The flying blood and glass, mingled together like some sort of abstract painting...

_(cut to Ben lying on his bed)_

It happened in a split-second. In _one_ split-second, they were dead. My mom and my dad. Both of them. Now, I'm under the care of my aunt and uncle. They both say they're sorry for my loss, and that they'll be here for me if I need them. ...For some reason, I really didn't believe that. Their voices sounded..._hollow_. Like they didn't care. For some reason, everyone doesn't seem to care. My life feels so slow, so..._lifeless_. And hollow. Just a void, a void that nothing can fill...

_(cut to Ben looking straight into the camera)_

I feel like a black sheep in this town. Everyone around me is so happy, so jubilant, so carefree. And look at me! I'm being haunted by a nightmare every night. In fact, I woke up from one just before recording this. _(speaks slowly)_ I don't _understand_ why people are _so happy_ here. They might as well rename this place Happyville. _(silence) _This happiness that's all around me seriously PISSES me off. On the news, there's no such thing as a tragedy. Not even a freakin' bike being stolen! _I'm _the only one who had an extremely, EXTREMELY bad thing happen to _me_. It's unfair, and it pisses me off to death!

_(cut to Ben still looking straight into the camera, but with his eyes slowly turning into slits)_

I really wish this town would learn a lesson or two about _pain and suffering_. Make every goddamn citizen here know the true meaning of that. _(silence) I'm _gonna make sure of THAT. Soon, everyone will get stuck in the mud, like a bunch of worthless sticks, and when that happens, when they cry out for help, I will just point, laugh, and walk away. _That_ will be something to look forward to in this hellhole of a town. _(chuckles)_ Yep, something to look forward to...

_(end videotape)_

* * *

_**No POV  
August 16, 2015  
Present day**_

Adyson charily walked towards the Flynn-Fletcher backyard, where she knew everyone else in the gang was at. Ever since the tragedy, no one went to the backyard expecting one of Phineas and Ferb's inventions. Instead, they came there to grieve for the loss of their beloved family and friends. She knew where to go; after all, her aunt lived closer to 2308 Maple Drive than her mother did. Adyson never visited the backyard, fearing of the reaction from her friends. That is, until now.

Easily finding the gate-door that led into the backyard, she slowly opened it and quietly stepped into the backyard. There, she saw Phineas, Baljeet, Buford, Katie, Gretchen, Milly, Ginger, Holly, Irving, and several other children, just standing there quietly. All of their heads turned at Adyson's direction, to which everyone frowned disapprovingly. The only ones not to do so were Django and Katie.

"What are _you_ doing here, Sweetwater?" asked Holly accusingly.

"I'm here to grieve with you, for our lost friends," Adyson replied.

"You're not allowed in here no more," Buford snarled, adjusting the position of his wheelchair a little, albeit with much difficulty. "Because of you just letting your cousin do whatever the hell he wanted, our friends are all dead."

"That's not my fault, Buford. There's no way anyone could've prevented Ben from doing what he did."

"Yes there was!" cried Phineas, stepping forward and pointing at Adyson accusingly. "There were _a lot_ of opportunities for you to stop Ben! Those rants about how much he hated everyone! Those creepy friends of his! That horrible video they made, right here in the backyard! I could name more, but I'd rather not, because it'd be redundant, knowing that they were all good opportunities to notice your cousin's behavior. Which. You. _Didn't_. Now my mom and Isabella are dead, and Ferb's in the hospital, clinging onto the last strands of his life!"

"Yeah, now get out of here!" Baljeet shrieked. "Get out of here! We don't need you here!"

Several of the group yelled out or nodded in agreement.

"WHY ARE YOU ALL **BLAMING** ME?!" Adyson screeched. "I DIDN'T KILL THOSE PEOPLE!"

"You practically DID!" replied Phineas furiously. "By blindly ignoring your cousin!"

"Look who's talking, _you_ ignored Ben's actions too! Those warning signs were flashing right in your faces too!"

"How were we supposed to know? We never knew Ben, not like you did."

"THAT DOESN'T MAKE ME- **OOF**!" Adyson was interrupted by a tomato that hit her hard in the face suddenly. Wiping the fruity mush off her face, she saw that the person who threw it was Katie. "KATIE! Why'd you do that?! I'm your best friend! Where'd you even _get_ the tomato?"

"Best friends don't contribute to their mothers going to the hospital for life-threatening injuries!" Katie screamed back. "NOW GET OUT OF HERE! **NOW**!"

She then threw another tomato, and several other kids followed suit, throwing whatever they can find in the backyard. Adyson couldn't take it anymore and ran out of the backyard and down the sidewalk, hearing the furious, accusing yells of her former friends slowly fading behind her. Finally, she stopped the moment she reached her aunt's house and collapsed onto the front yard, sobbing endlessly. In just one day, she lost all of her friends.

"It's not...my _fault_," Adyson whispered between sobs. "It's not..."

* * *

**A/N:** Aw, poor Addie. Forgive me if the others are obviously OOC, but how would _you_ react towards a family member of a killer?

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed:

_**Monkey Lover 422 [I never had the guts either, but I made it.]**_

_**Emmi194 [Whoa. I'm now scared.]**_

_**shadowayn [Indeed. People related to a killer shouldn't be blamed, it's actually pointless!]**_

_**sonicboy678**_

_**FerbFlecher151 [Thanks for your review!]**_

_**WordNerb93 [It's good you haven't had such an experience. But I guess the story teaches you to value your life and the lives of your loved ones. So be sure to do that, 'cause you never know what's waiting around the corner of life.]**_

_**Speedman12 (guest reviewer)**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z [I guess this chapter proves Gretchen's alive and somewhat well. And yes, I know what happened at Columbine. Such a terrible, wasteful tragedy.]**_

_**NattyMc**_

_**IzzyBells (chapter 10 review) [Thanks for your review! Sorry if this looked sickening to read.]**_

_**IzzyBells**_

_**Out with a Whoosh and a Thunk**_

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	13. Before: Good Morning!

**A/N:** Alright everyone, at this point of Part II, the story will branch off into two sections: "Before" and "After". Let me explain them:

The "Before" section will be told through the eyes of Adyson's camera as she chronicles events prior to the massacre. As a result, you will learn more about her cousin Ben, whom you will see most of the time, but "Before" will also focus on the other characters too, giving the section a somewhat unsettling tone given the fact that those people will soon become victims as the deadline of the countdown gets closer and closer. I will also use this section to answer at least most of your questions you left behind in your great reviews, such as why Ben didn't get any better help, and also reveal things about him that I will not spoil at this time.

The "After" section will be told either in first-person or third-person (depending on the situation) and, of course, details the grieving of our surviving characters. It'll be sad to read, and I warn you, it's filled with events that are guaranteed to make you cry. Another attribute to the section will be the fact that the narrative will be broken up by news reports and 'talking head' editorials that serve as some sort of Greek chorus (if you don't know what a Greek chorus is, look it up). And if you do know what I'm talking about but you also want a more simple explanation, just read the graphic novel _The Dark Knight Returns_ by Frank Miller. You'll find out what I'm talking about. In fact, I have a copy, freshly borrowed from my local library, and the narrative style inspired me to do a similar thing here.

I will alternate between the two sections; first I'll do "Before", then "After", then "Before", then "After", and again and again until we reach the end of the story.

Enough rambling! Onto the next chapter! ENJOY!

* * *

_**Sweetwater Camera POV  
August 10, 2014  
07:37:28 A.M.  
11 months, 6 days prior to the massacre**_

_(begin videotape. Adyson Sweetwater is looking at the camera.)_

**Adyson Sweetwater:** Hi, everyone! I'm Adyson Carla Sweetwater, a fifteen-year-old teenage girl living in Danville, Tri-State Area, and I'm announcing the beginning of my series of random videos chronicling this year's summer, which I guarantee will be the best. _(giggles)_ Oh, I'm so jubilant for today! I'm gonna go on a shopping spree with Katie, Izzie, and the other girls. _(shrieks excitedly)_ Now, let's go downstairs, where we'll meet my family.

_(cut to a series of scenes of Adyson going downstairs off-screen. She nearly trips on the last stair.)_

Whoops!

_(cut to Adyson looking at the camera)_

And this here is my family!

_(camera moves to face the Sweetwater family, consisting of Randy, Kathy, Joyce, and Ben, who are all sitting at a table.)_

Say hi, everyone!

**Randy, Kathy, and Joyce: **_(together)_ Hi!

**Ben:** _(quietly)_ Hey.

**Adyson:** _(playfully)_ Ben, don't be so upset! _(camera turns to face her)_ Don't mind my cousin; he's going through a tough time right now.

**Ben:** _(off-screen)_ Adyson, that camera's not alive, ya know.

**Adyson:** Ben, what happened to your sense of having fun?

**Kathy: **_(off-screen, a bit sternly)_ Adyson! Give your cousin some space.

**Adyson:** Okay, Mom.

_(cut to Adyson sitting on the table with her family. Adyson is off-screen; the camera is facing the rest of the family.)_

**Randy:** So, Addie honey, what do you plan to do today?

**Adyson:** I'm gonna go shopping with the girls at the mall.

**Joyce:** Can I come? Pretty _please_?

**Adyson:** Sure, Joyce! It'll be an all-girls day for us!

**Joyce:** YAY! I can feel like a big girl!

**Kathy:** You _are_ a big girl, Joyce, yes you are. _(Ben rolls his eyes and exhales deeply)_ Oh, Adyson, you're gonna have to take Ben with you too.

**Ben:** _(eyes widened)_ What?!

**Adyson:** Sure, Mom. Why?

**Randy:** Your mom and I have to go to that pharmacists' convention. There appears to be some big contest going on and we managed to make an entry. As a result, we'll be gone for the entire day.

**Ben:** No, no, _no_, don't make me go with them, Uncle Randy!

**Adyson:** Come on, Ben, it'll be fun! ...You'll get to see _Katie_ there. _Ooooohhh_!

**Ben:** _(growls angrily)_ I don't like your annoying friend, she likes _me_! _(turns to Randy)_ Don't make me go, Uncle Randy!

**Randy:** Sorry kiddo, but a pharmacists' convention is no place for you.

_(Ben mutters something incomprehensible)_

**Kathy:** I'll call your Aunt Allison and tell her to drop you guys off.

_(Ben stands up and marches away, muttering angrily)_

**Joyce:** Mommy, why is Ben such a grouch? He's always grumpy.

**Adyson:** Ben's not a grouch, Joyce. He's just... having a bad day.

**Joyce:** Since when was a summer day a bad day, Addie?

**Adyson:** I seriously don't know.

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**_10:01:11 A.M._**

_(begin videotape. The camera is facing a blue SUV, which is containing a middle-aged woman. Adyson, Joyce, and a muttering Ben go inside.)_

**Allison Yates:** Hi, guys! Your mom wants me to drop you three off at the Googolplex Mall?

**Adyson:** Yep.

**Joyce:** Yeah!

**Ben:** Meh...

_(The Yates SUV moves. Cut to several scenes of suburban Danville, which then turns into downtown. A bumping noise is then heard, and Adyson turns her camera to find Ben bumping his head on the window, muttering angrily.)_

**Adyson:** Ben, please stop being so upset.

**Ben:** DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'LL STOP BEING UPSET?! SHUT THE HELL UP, WILL YA?!

**Joyce:** Ooh! Ben said two bad words at once!

**Ben: **SHUT THE HELL UP!

_(Joyce starts to cry)_

**Allison:** Oh, oh, Joyce, don't cry. Ben didn't mean it. Ben, you've gotta stop dwelling in the past. It's been over a month since the accident-

**Ben:** Oh, so you want me to start cracking up a stinkin' cheesy smile, like everyone else in the accursed place? HELL, NO! This life is a bore!

**Adyson:** You just _think_ it's a bore, Ben. Life's never boring. Look at Phineas and Ferb! They always have fun and never have any bad days!

**Ben:** Those two punks are just a duo of optimistic, happy-go-lucky suck-ups who flash annoyingly sycophantic smiles! That's what attracts everyone! God, those two annoy me the most in this damn place.

**Allison:** So, how's the therapist doing to help you?

**Ben:** _Nothing_. Those stupid methods of his don't work. My nightmares get worse and worse and worse...

**Allison:** You're just not trying hard enough. My daughter Wanda had a hard time getting over her silly fear of clowns as a child, but a therapist changed all of that in a week's worth, all because of the effort she put into conquering her phobia.

**Ben:** Fuck therapy. What's the point in trying to change something that was born in a person?

**Adyson:** You think your hatred at people and horror from your tragedy was just born in _you_? It never was. Not before the accident. You were just a fun-loving person.

**Allison:** Yeah, I remember you playing hide-and-seek and tag with Adyson all the time. You two were so close.

**Ben:** HA! Well, I guess a car accident changes everything, doesn't it?

_(silence)_

**Joyce:** _(sniffling)_ Auntie Allison?

**Allison:** Yes, my dear?

**Joyce:** What does 'fuck' mean?

**Adyson:** Um-

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**_10:17:47 A.M._**

_(begin videotape. The SUV is arriving at the Googolplex Mall.)_

**Adyson:** Here we are. Googolplex Mall.

**Ben:** We know, we know.

**Adyson: **I was talking to the camera, Ben.

**Ben:** Whatever. _(mutters something inaudible)_

**Allison:** So, I'll pick you three up here at 3:00?

**Adyson:** Yeah.

**Joyce:** Thanks for dropping us off, Auntie Allison! Oh, and thanks for explaining what 'fuck' means!

**Allison:** _(smiles nervously)_ Uh..._yeah_, you're welcome. Just don't use that word. Remember that it's cursed by the Magic Witch.

**Joyce:** Oh, yeah, that's right! _(covers mouth. Ben rolls his eyes as the three step out of the SUV.)_

**Allison:** Have fun!

**Adyson:** We will!

_(cut to Adyson, Joyce, and Ben approaching Isabella, Katie, Gretchen, Ginger, Holly, Milly, Julie, Jordan, and Haley.)_

**Adyson:** Hey, girls!

**Isabella:** _(shrieking girlishly)_ Addie, you made it! And I see you brought along Joyce! Hi, Joyce!

**Joyce:** _(nervously) _Hi, Isabella.

**Katie:** Ben also made it, too. _(waves at Ben as the camera faces him)_ Hi, Ben! _(giggles)_

**Ben:** Bug off, will ya?

**Katie:** _(sarcastically)_ Jeez, what a gentleman!

**Gretchen:** _(off-screen)_ What's with the new camera, Addie?

_(the camera faces Gretchen)_

**Adyson:** I'm using it to chronicle my life for my kids.

**Holly:** _(fake-coughs) _With Django... _(fake-coughs again)_

**Adyson: **Shut up, Holly!

**Milly:** Well, your crush on Django is, like, as obvious as Isabella's crush on Phineas.

_(Isabella turns red with embarrassment)_

**Jordan:** What're we waiting for? Let's go shopping!

_(Everyone but Joyce and Ben shriek)_

**Ben:**_ (sarcastically)_ Oh, yay. I can hardly wait...

_(cut to a montage of scenes of the girls shopping for clothes and other girly items _(**A/N:** I'm not a girl, so I don't know exactly what girls need other than clothes, sorry) _while Ben is forced to carry most of the bags. Finally, the camera settles at the food court.)_

**Isabella:** Alright girls, after lunch, we hit the Flawless Girl junction!

_(Off-screen, Ben throws the bags he's carrying on the floor. The camera faces him.)_

**Ben:** GOD, WHAT THE FUCK DO I LIKE LOOK? A SLAVE? I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS _CRAP_! CARRY THOSE BAGS YOURSELVES!

_(Ben storms over to a bench and sits down, putting his face in his palms)_

**Adyson: **Oh, Ben...

**Holly:** He still hasn't gotten over that...tragedy of his?

**Adyson:** He continues to have the nightmares. Come on, let's pick these bags up. Joyce, wanna help?

**Joyce:** _(excitedly)_ Okay! Yay!

_(The girls pick up the discarded bags.)_

**Adyson:** Girls, what do you think about Ben? You think you can handle him?

**Isabella: **_(smiling)_ Of course we can! If he's your family, then he's our family too!

**Julie:** I just wish he'd stop ranting on about how much he hates people. It's kinda getting creepy.

**Katie:** I think he's _cute_. He reminds me of a vampire.

**Adyson:** Really?

**Katie:** He's moody, he wears dark clothing, he's got pale skin...ahhhhh, he kinda reminds me of _Robert Pattinson_...

**All but Joyce:** Ahhhhh, Robert Pattinson...

**Gretchen:** Ah, what a _dream_...

**Julie:** Still, his rants, like, creep me out.

**Joyce:** Who's Robert Pattysen?

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**A/N:** Awwwww, I think I'm finding Joyce CUTE!

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed (I'm not gonna respond to reviews this time around due to a strict schedule):

_**NattyMc**_

_**TheNargana**_

_**MonkeyLover422**_

_**shadowayn**_

_**Speedman12 (guest reviewer)**_

_**Out with a Whoosh and a Thunk**_

_**IzzyBells**_

_**Randomchick16**_

_**Galaxina-the-Seedrian**_

_**WordNerb93**_

_**mysty (guest reviewer)**_

_**sonicboy678**_

_**Comment person**_

_**Flying Liberty**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z**_

_**masterofthez**_

_**Emmi194**_

_**AuraEsp (guest reviewer)**_

_**Kitty O**_

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	14. After: How to Egg a House

**A/N:** Before I begin, I would like to ask this question, which I hope will be answered by you reviewers: "What in the world is _Cartoon X-Overs_?" I stumbled upon it while doing some surfing on here, and it's caught my interest. But I don't know what it actually is, hence the aforementioned question.

Now, onto the story. I have seen a considerable amount of reviews saying that not every girl is obsessed with Robert Pattinson. I am fully aware of those statements; let's just say the Fireside Girls in particular see him as a heartthrob.

Enough rambling, onto the story! ENJOY! If you can.

* * *

**Ron Goldmann:** And the stormy weather continues to plague Danville for the fifth day straight now. Quite convenient, considering the deeper nightmare that's still going on right now.

**Anita Weston: **That's right, Ron. Today, 49-year-old Larry Holden and 20-year-old Kaylee Sassy have both succumbed to the critical injuries they sustained during the July 16 mass shooting at the Mid-Summer's Festival, making them the 36th and 37th fatalities of the tragedy. And, to this very hour, many people continue to fight desperately against Death in order to stay alive.

**Ron Goldmann:** And even those who have escaped the festival uninjured have a battle of their own: a battle against the trauma that infects their minds like a disease.

* * *

_**Phineas's POV  
August 15, 2014  
Present day**_

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

After a couple of hours, the continuous beeping began to sound like some sort of eerie music. Dad, Candace, and I were sitting at the bedside of Ferb, who was lying there, his eyes closed, his head, neck, and hands swathed in bandages. For a silent, man-of-action type of guy, Ferb was _much_ more silent being in a coma. I couldn't imagine the silent Ferb being even more silent that he usually would be. But lo and behold, here he was, just lying there, in a coma and struggling somewhere deep inside his inactive mind to recover, relying on a feeding tube to stay officially alive.

I remember that he had been hit six times in the head, twice in the neck, three times in the rear shoulder area, and twice in both hands by shotgun pellets. The doctor said it was wounds few people could survive. But Ferb made it through. All he has to do is to finish the final leg of the race by waking up from his coma. ...But he has been that way for over a month now. The doctors are beginning to wonder if they should remove the tube and declare him dead. I've started praying every night that Ferb recover the next day. So far, my prayers have yet to be fulfilled.

But I continue to pray and pray. I can't afford to lose Ferb like I lost both of my biological parents. In fact, I was praying right now. So were Dad and Candace.

We weren't alone in the hospital room. Also here to visit Ferb were my step-uncle Adrian, my step-aunt Lucy, and my step-cousins Eliza, Pelé 1, Pelé 2, Beckham 1, Beckham 2, and Beckham 3 (yes, I'm giving them numbers). They all immediately flew in from England a few weeks ago and have been staying over with us since, to give the family, especially my dad, support. I thank them for their efforts, but I still can't get over the fact that a lot of people I know are either dead or impaired in some way.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

The music assaults my eardrums with every note, and my fear began to increase. Should the beeping go any faster, then-

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

God, please don't let Ferb die. I can't lose him too.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

Please don't let him die. Why are you doing this to us?

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up and cried hysterically, "Ferb, FERB! Please wake up! I _know_ you're strong! You can do it! PLEASE, FERB! WAKE UP!"

Dad and Candace immediately pulled me away before I could do anything stupid. Tears flowing down my eyes, I broke free from them and ran to the corner, where I sat down and began sobbing in my palms. This was unbearable. I didn't know why this was happened to Danville, and I continue to wonder why.

* * *

Uncle Adrian parked his rental SUV alongside my home at Maple Drive, and I quietly go out with Dad and Candace. Everyone is quiet as we enter the house and sit at the kitchen table, where I found my pet platypus Perry waiting. His bowl of food I gave for him was half-empty, which was strange, as Perry was a fast eater. It appears the shooting is affecting platypuses too. I looked at Perry, and he looked back at me with his emotionless brown eyes, letting out a short, low chatter. I could sense the sadness in those eyes.

I sniffled and starting eating the food in the bowl Aunt Lucy respectfully gave me.

* * *

_**The following night**_

I couldn't sleep. For many nights now, I have been plagued with nightmares...no, _flashbacks_ about the shooting. They were so terrifying, and so realistic that whenever I woke up, I sometimes still thought I was in the festival. I couldn't take the terror, the pain, the _loss_ anymore. I need to vent it out somehow...

"Hey, Phineas!" I heard a voice call from the distance. Suddenly, I heard something bump against my window, and went over to investigate. Looking out, I saw it was Baljeet, Buford, and a few other boys. They were all wearing backpacks, while Buford was carrying his on his lap.

I opened the window and replied, "What're you guys doing here? It's late."

"Sorry to disturb your sleep," Baljeet said apologetically, "but we found out the address of one of the families of the shooters. We're gonna egg it using a bunch of rotten eggs Joe supplied us from his great-uncle's farm." A boy with dark-blond hair and wearing a light-green ball-cap waved. "We thought you'd come along and pitch in."

Before the massacre, I would've flat-out refused. But I looked at Ferb's unoccupied bed, remembered my comatose, bed-ridden stepbrother, and grinned a little. The voice in my head that told me to stop was being blocked out by white-hot, angry thoughts of irrationality.

"Sure, I'll come!" I replied.

* * *

Surprisingly, it didn't take long for us to reach the house. In fact, it was several blocks away, and still on Maple Drive. That made me even more angrier, and also a bit disturbed and unsettled. The shooter was a _neighbor_ of mine? _He_ was planning a nightmarish scheme of death and destruction while _we_ were blocks away, enjoying summer like there was no tomorrow?

_SPLAT!_

My thoughts were interrupted when Baljeet threw an egg at a window. I quickly followed suit along with the rest, and for minutes, the group was pelting the house with the rotten eggs. At the very back of my mind, I was cringing, begging for my body to stop. But it was all overwhelmed by hatred and sadness at the sudden, unexpected loss of my mom and the girl of my dreams, and the scars I sustained from the horrible events a month ago. I wanted to do nothing more than to attack the closest thing to the shooters: their families, who were supposed to be _responsible_ for their behaviors, and yet they FAILED. THAT peaked my furiosity.

"THIS IS FOR KILLING MY MOM!" I yelled as I threw an egg. "THIS IS FOR KILLING ISABELLA!" I threw another egg. "THIS IS FOR PUTTING FERB IN A COMA!" I threw yet another egg. "THIS IS FOR **ME**!" I threw another egg...that hit the resident's face.

"CRAP, THEY'VE AWAKENED!" Buford cried. "LET'S SCRAM!"

Before the resident could say anything, everyone ran while I did the courtesy of pushing Buford's wheelchair. As we ran, some of us were laughing a bit. Including me.

I knew it was wrong; I knew I shouldn't have done that. But never before did unleashing my anger feel so _good_.

* * *

**Ron Goldmann:** Breaking news, a group of teenagers egged the house of Gerald and Kelly Radeson, parents of Mid-Summer's Festival mass killer Andrew Radeson. One egg was thrown in Mr. Radeson's face; he was uninjured. No arrests have been made so far, but Mr. Radeson provided the descriptions of some of the perpetrators. One had messy red hair and a triangular head, one was wheelchair-bound, and one was wearing a ball-cap.

**Gerald Radeson:** NO COMMENT!

**Ron Goldmann:** We tried interviewing Mr. and Mrs. Radeson, but they've refused any comments of any sort. The Radesons are currently being investigated by authorities, as there have been some allegations that Mr. Radeson, a former Colonel for the U.S. Army, had ties to a yet-to-be-identified source who supplied Andrew Radeson with the military-grade firearms used in the massacre.

**Anita Weston:** Well, it looks like the heat's on for the Radeson family, as well as the families of the three other shooters. It's obvious the citizens of Danville are retaliating against them, obviously as means of venting out their rage directed at the shooters themselves. And speaking of heat, onto our next story-

* * *

**A/N:** Uh-oh, Phineas is slipping off to the Land of OOC.

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed (I can't answer reviews here, either; tight schedule):

_**Robot Wolf 26Z**_

_**Emmi194**_

_**shadowayn**_

_**MonkeyLover422**_

_**Randomchick16**_

_**Comment person**_

_**sonicboy678**_

_**Out with a Whoosh and a Thunk**_

_**Speedman12 (guest reviewer)**_

_**Galaxina-the-Seedrian**_

_**NattyMc**_

_**Ilikecartoonsandzombies**_

_**WordNerb93**_

_**TheNargana**_

_**FerbFlecher151**_

_**JumpRunDuck**_

By the way, everyone, I updated "Evil Phineas" for the first time in SO LONG! JUBILATIONS!

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	15. Before: The Pool Party

**A/N:** Tomorrow, I go back to school, so updates on this story and others will become a bit sporadic. Just warning everyone.

* * *

_**Sweetwater Camera POV  
August 18, 2014  
11:39:49 A.M.  
10 months, 29 days prior to the massacre**_

_(begin videotape. Adyson is walking down a sidewalk. The camera turns to face her.)_

**Adyson:** Hi, everyone! This is Adyson Carla Sweetwater speaking, and this is entry number two for my series of videos about my life. Today, me, Joyce, and Ben are walking over to Isabella's house, where there's a pool party! It's gonna be fun! _(giggles)_

**Joyce:** YAY! I can't wait to go swimming!

**Ben: **_(off-screen) I'm_ not swimming.

_(the camera faces Ben)_

**Adyson:** Then why'd you come, Ben?

**Ben:** Because you made me come.

**Adyson:** It'll be fun! You'll get to swim with other girls in _bikinis_!

**Ben:** Shut the hell up! I'm _not_ swimming! I don't even have swimming clothes, so too bad!

**Adyson:** Don't worry, I packed them for you.

_(Ben mutters something inaudible)_

**Joyce:** Ben, why are you so grumpy? You need to have fun! Fun is the best medicine!

**Adyson:** That's right, Ben, fun _is_ the best medicine!

_(Ben mutters something)_

**Adyson:** What was that, Ben?

**Ben:** _(quietly) _Shut up.

**Adyson:** Ben, we're just trying to help you. I know the loss of your parents is hard-

_(Ben stops walking, and so does Adyson and Joyce)_

**Ben:** No, you _don't_ know. You think it's hard. But it's more than just _hard_. It's a living nightmare. I was _driving_ the car, while they were in the passenger seats. Then, that other car just appeared out of nowhere and I plowed right into it. My head went to the right, and I saw in a split-second my parents bashing their heads hard on the metal, their bodies being raided with glass and metal... It's more than just _hard_, Adyson...

_(silence)_

**Adyson:** Ben, you never told any of us that-

**Ben:** Well, NOW I did! And now you're gonna bullshit me with lame sentiments on how to get better. All I want is just for people to leave me _alone_!

**Adyson:** But you can't let this accident dictate the rest of your life, Ben.

**Ben:** Too late. It already has.

_(Ben resumes walking, a bit faster now)_

**Joyce:** Addie?

**Adyson:** Yes, Joyce?

**Joyce:** I feel sorry for Ben.

**Adyson:** Me too, Joyce. Me too.

_(end videotape)_

* * *

_**11:46:15 A.M.**_

_(begin videotape. Adyson, Ben, and Joyce are in front of Isabella's house. Adyson rings the doorbell, and Isabella, wearing a purple two-piece, opens the door.)_

**Isabella:** _(shrieks)_ Addie, you made it! And I see you've brought Ben and lil' Joyce!

**Joyce: **_(shyly) _Hi, Isabella.

_(Katie enters, wearing a green two-piece)_

**Katie:** Hey, girl! _(looks at Ben and blushes) _Hi, B-

**Ben:** Spare me. _(shoulders Isabella and enters the house)_

**Isabella:** Still upset?

**Adyson:** Yeah. Girls, please give him some space. He's practically got a thundercloud over his head.

**Joyce:** No he doesn't, Addie.

_(cut to Adyson giving Katie the camera)_

**Adyson:** Katie, watch the camera, will you? I'm gonna go change in my swimsuit.

**Katie:** Sure thing, Addie. By the way, _Django's_ here.

_(Adyson blushes and runs off. Cut to Katie going to the swimming pool, where Phineas, Ferb, and numerous others are swimming in)_

**Phineas:** Hey, Katie! What's with the new camera?

**Katie:** It's Adyson's. She's recording several random stuff about herself and us.

**Phineas: **_(smiling)_ Cool!

_(Baljeet screams. The camera turns to see him being given a wedgie by Buford. Wendy enters, wearing a light-blue one-piece.)_

**Wendy:** Hey, leave my boyfriend alone, Buford!

**Buford:** Fine. _(drops Baljeet) _You're lucky your girl's here to save you, 'Jeet. But next time, there'll be absolutely _no_ escape from the wedgie-wet willie-why're you hitting yourself triple-attack I perfected! Buford's out. PEACE!

_(Buford leaves, and Baljeet sighs in relief. Ben enters.)_

**Katie:** Hey, Ben.

**Ben:** Leave me alone. _(walks over to a chair and sits down)_

**Phineas: **Jeez, Ben needs to know how to have fun.

**Katie:** Don't try anything, Phineas. Adyson told me he's in a VERY bad mood.

**Phineas:** You sure? There's nothing that can't be cured by a little lemonade stand or a water park...

**Katie:** Phineas, please. For the sake of both Ben and Adyson.

**Phineas: **_(a bit glumly) _Fine. You know, Ferb and I haven't had any ideas on what to build for the past week.

**Katie:** Don't tell me you two have been running out of ideas.

**Phineas:** Unfortunately, I _am_.

**Katie: **_(jokingly)_ Oh no! Phineas and Ferb don't know what to do today! It's the apocalypse!

_(Ferb appears from the water)_

**Ferb:** Very unfortunate indeed.

_(Ferb disappears back into the water, just as Adyson enters, wearing a red two-piece)_

**Katie:** _(gasping)_ Looking _good_, girl!

**Adyson:** Thanks. I _knew_ buying this from the mall was worth it. Hopefully it's enough to get Django's attention.

**Phineas:** Oh, I think it'll get his attention. I _know_ it.

_(Isabella enters)_

**Isabella:** Spoken like a _real_ man.

**Phineas:** Say what now?

**Isabella:** Nothing. _(leaves tight-lipped)_

**Phineas:** What was _that_?

**Katie and Adyson:** _Nothing_.

_(Joyce enters)_

**Joyce:** Hi, Phineas!

**Phineas:** Hey, Joyce!

**Joyce:** Are you gonna make something?

**Phineas:** Unfortunately, _no_. Ferb and I have no idea on what to do today.

**Joyce:** Awwwww...

**Phineas:** Don't worry, though. When we get our inspiration back, we'll make something just for _you_.

**Joyce:** YAY! I can't wait! _(skips off)_

**Phineas:** _(chuckling)_ She's adorable!

**Adyson:** Yeah. The only one she can't reach to is _Ben_. _(looks at Ben, who is looking up at the sky)_

**Phineas:** I remember him visiting once before, five years ago. He was such a cool guy. Now, he just keeps moping and yelling. A practical embodiment of rage. Are those therapy sessions you mentioned doing well for him?

**Adyson:** _(shakes her head)_ He says his nightmares just get worse.

**Phineas:** I think he's not making enough effort. Maybe we should make some device to make him better... _(smiles)_ Ferb, Ferb? Where are you?

_(Ferb rises from the water)_

**Phineas:** Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today!

**Katie:** And they're back!

_(Adyson looks at the camera)_

**Adyson: **Katie, can I have the camera?

**Katie:** Sure. _(hands camera over to Adyson)_

**Adyson:** The batteries are running a little low. I need to turn this off.

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**_11:57:29 A.M._**

_(begin videotape. The camera is recording a sort of small, purple laser cannon-like device.)_

**Phineas:** _(off-screen)_ I bring you...the Smile-Maker! _(appears and gestures at the device like a showman)_ A device guaranteed to make you happy with just the push of a button! Sadness and depression will become a thing of the past with this baby!

**Adyson:** Phineas, are you sure it's a good idea? Ben might get angry if he finds that you and Ferb built this thing to cheer him up.

**Phineas:** Well, nothing else seems to be working for him. We might as well do things the fast way, through the power of creative thinking and positive spirit!

**Isabella: **_(off-screen) _It looks excellent, Phineas!

**Joyce: **_(off-screen)_ It looks pretty!

_(several people off-screen mutter in agreement)_

**Ben:** _(off-screen)_ What's going on here? What's with the crowd? _(appears) What_ the hell is that?

**Phineas:** Ben, everyone wants to help you with your depression, so me and Ferb built this.

**Ben:** _That_ thing is the answer to all of my problems? ...I doubt it.

**Phineas:** Just a push of this button, you'll be feeling happy in no time!

_(silence. Ben's eye twitches.)_

**Adyson: **_(quietly)_ Uh-oh...

**Ben:** _(quietly, angrily) This_ is your plan? Your grand scheme to make everything _perfect_?

**Phineas:** I don't mean for everything to be perfect. I mean, nothing's perfect. But we just want you to feel better. Everyone does.

_(people nod and talk in agreement)_

**Phineas:** Ben, we're all your friends, and we care for you-

**Ben:** No. You _don't_ care about ME! WHY CAN'T ALL OF YOU JUST STAY THE FUCK OUT OF MY BUSINESS?!

_(Isabella appears)_

**Isabella:** Ben, you mustn't be angry. We're just trying to help-

**Ben:** The only thing that can help is THIS!

_(Ben pulls out a knife. Everyone screams, and Adyson drops the camera.)_

**Adyson:** BEN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

**Ben:** DOING WHAT I SHOULD'VE DONE A LONG TIME AGO! _(puts the knife against his throat)_ I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS POINTLESS LIVING! I WANNA **DIE**!

**Adyson:** No, Ben! Killing yourself isn't the answer!

**Ben:** There's no more answers left for me! I can't take this anymore!

**Katie:** _(off-screen)_ Ben, killing yourself is bad!

**Ben:** SHUT THE HELL UP! I DON'T **CARE**!

_(Adyson slowly walks forward towards Ben)_

**Adyson:** Ben, put the knife down. You don't wanna do this.

**Ben:** It's too late, Adyson.

**Adyson:** No, no, it's _never_ too late. Put down the knife, and we can talk things out.

**Ben:** Talk _what_ out? My life feels so slow, so lifeless, so..._hollow_. A void. A void that nothing can fill. That's what my life's been for the past month. And I can't fucking take it anymore!

**Adyson:** There is something that can fill that void, Ben.

**Ben:** What?

**Adyson:** Love.

_(brief silence)_

**Ben:** Love.

**Adyson:** Put the knife down, Ben. We all love you. ..._I_ love you. That's all you need to live for. Put the knife down.

_(Ben's lip trembles. He then drops the knife, and Adyson hugs him while he cries. Someone picks up the camera.)_

**Adyson:** _(off-screen)_ Phineas, destroy that thing.

_(end videotape.)_

* * *

**_03:13:28 P.M._**

_(begin videotape. Adyson is staring at the camera while sitting on a chair. She is in her room.)_

**Adyson:** Hi, Ben. This video is for you and you only. I know life's been hard on you for the past month and you can't take it anymore. Just know that my parents did what they had to do. Sending you to that psychiatric facility was in their best interests. Just know that we're all rooting for you. My parents, Phineas, Ferb, the rest of the gang, Joyce..._me_.

_(Adyson adjusts her position briefly)_

I hope you make good friends at the facility. ...I know you will. There are people you can relate to there. And soon, even the people inside the facility, the patients, they'll be rooting for you too. Everyone's rooting for you to get better. We _all_ believe in you. By the way, Phineas says he's sorry he tried to make you feel better with one of his big inventions, and he voices his support for you in the facility.

_(cut to Adyson picking up the camera)_

I have my own apology to make. I'm sorry that I never recognized how truly angry you were at yourself, how much you blamed yourself for causing that accident. I'm sorry that I thought you were just a grouch, being grumpy all of the time. I should've known there was something bigger burning inside of you, a hatred more serious than I originally realized. I'm sorry for not recognizing it. But, just know that I'm here for you, and so is everyone else. We all love you.

_(cut to Adyson smiling)_

_I_ love you. Your my favorite cousin. You've always been like a brother to me. Now it's time for me to be like a sister to you. I hope you feel better and I wish you the best of luck inside the facility. Goodbye, Ben. Love you!

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**A/N:** Awwwww, Adyson can be so sweet. I'd like her to be _my_ cousin.

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed:

_**Robot Wolf 26Z [Yes, yes Phineas is.]**_

_**Out with a Whoosh and a Thunk [Now I feel better about myself.**_**:)_]_**

**_Galaxina-the-Seedrian [Indeed!]_**

**_NattyMc [Yeah, poor, poor him. He's becoming a victim to the trauma...]_**

**_WordNerb93 [Yeah, I hope Ferb wakes up soon, otherwise we'll be seeing a horrific sight...]_**

**_ACupOfWater (guest reviewer) [Why, thanks!]_**

**_TheNargana [Uh, sure.]_**

**_sonicboy678 [You'll eventually learn how the military-grade weapons were accessed.]_**

**_shadowayn [Good comparative story!]_**

**_MonkeyLover422 [Thanks for your review!]_**

Hm, it appears less people reviewed. I wonder what happened... Ah, no matter, at least there were reviewers.

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	16. After: Finding Some Solace

**A/N:** And I'm back! Sorry for the long wait; school popped up and I was preoccupied. But now, I've seized this time-frame to update this fic! Hope you enjoy this new chapter from me! If you can.

* * *

**Ron Goldmann:** This just in, eight teenage boys were arrested for throwing rotten eggs at the house of Gerald and Kelly Radeson last night. They have all been identified as 15-year-old Hank Bradley, 14-year-old Joe Capp, 17-year-old Edward Davis, 15-year-old Phineas Flynn, 15-year-old Baljeet Rai, 16-year-old Buford Van Stomm, 18-year-old Gary Warner, and 16-year-old Franklin Zuckerman. All eight were apprehended after an anonymous 911 call pointing to them was made minutes after the egging.

**Anita Weston:** The eight were all able to avoid being charged with vandalism and battery, as no such charges were filed by the Radesons, but they have still been given the punishment of cleaning the house they egged. A bit of a poetic justice, isn't it, Ron?

**Ron Goldmann:** Indeed it is. And yet, it doesn't seem to change their feelings toward the Radesons, or the families of the other three Mid-Summer's Festival mass killers. Phineas Flynn had this to say while we interviewed him:

**Phineas Flynn: **_(via recording)_ I don't _care_ if the actions we committed are considered criminal. Those two deserved what was coming to them. They were responsible for spotting their son's behavior, and yet, they _failed_. That puts them to as much blame for their son's actions.

* * *

_**Phineas's POV  
August 16, 2015**_

As I scrub the garage door, relieving its exterior of the dried whites and yolk traces that I inflicted hours before, I mumble furiously to myself. Why am _I_ being punished? Those two were responsible for everything their son did; they should get all of the punishment! ALL OF IT! It's because of them Mom and Isabella are dead, and Ferb's in a coma. _Everyone_ I know is either dead, struggling for their lives in a hospital, or struggling to pick up the pieces of what has just happened in an instant flash. And it's all because of _those four maniacs_. They shouldn't have killed themselves. That way I would've torn them limb by limb myself!

But I can't. Because they killed themselves before I could even make an effort to reach them. Now I've gotta attack the next best thing to blame: the families.

I admit, it sounds definitely like overreacting. The fact always dawns on me. But I know that it's all justified. After all, Ben Sweetwater had all of the warning signs flashing before us and we never noticed it. We foolishly thought the mental health facility changed him. But we were fooled by him. But _Adyson_ was responsible for taking quick notice of the hints of anger and hatred that remained, but no! She FAILED to do so! And so did her parents! I can't blame little Joyce; she has no idea what's going on around her right now. ...She doesn't even know her cousin is a mass murderer...

None of us _never_ knew he would be so. Adyson should've known. But she didn't. And with her ignorance, 37 people die, and thousands of lives in Danville and the rest of the Tri-State Area are emotionally obliterated.

A tear of sadness, frustration, rage, guilt, and confusion, all mingled together like a volatile, hazardous mixture, falls from my eye. I continue scrubbing.

* * *

_**Unknown POV**_

I shouldn't have called 911. Because of that, I am now scrubbing the Radeson house with the rest of my friends.

But for some reason, I _knew_ egging that house wasn't right. Before the massacre, I would've enjoyed giving someone a particularly shocking morning with an egged house and car, but now, it just seems..._disrespectful_ to me.

...

Why am I _thinking _this?! It's not my nature to brood like this!

Man, I'm so _confused_...

* * *

**Ron Goldmann:** On a related topic, a poll was released to the citizens of the Tri-State Area almost a week ago, asking whether the families of the Mid-Summer's Festival shooters are to blame for not taking quick notice to their actions.

**Anita Weston:** In the end, 95 percent voted 'Yes', 1 percent voted 'No', and 4 percent voted 'I Don't Know'. It looks like the four families are about to become serious pariahs in the community.

**Ron Goldmann:** Well, who can blame them?

* * *

_**Adyson's POV**_

I couldn't sleep last night. I had an extremely terrible nightmare. Ben was alive and rampaging through Danville, shooting and killing anyone he saw with a large gun only Hell can construct. He was also capable of bringing down skyscrapers with his mind. It was complete chaos. I was in the middle of the street, begging him to stop as people ran in the opposite direction. Ben wouldn't listen; he just continued destroying everything in sight, laughing like it was all a big joke. I found a handgun lying beside me, and with reluctance, I picked it up, apologized to him, and fired three shots. That was when I woke up. And I never slept again for the rest of the night, afraid of having a similar nightmare.

It didn't really matter, actually. My life was a nightmare all on its own. I looked out of the window when the sun began its ascent over Danville Mountain, and when I looked down at my Aunt Allison's front yard, I found a terrifying message crudely carved into the beautiful garden that I once admired as a little child: 'WHY THEM AND NOT YOU?' Any plans of leaving the house were quickly abandoned by my entire family. People knew where my family relocated, and with the results of that recent poll released, I doubt everyone will forget us sooner or later. And now, Aunt Allison and my other cousins were caught up in the mess, innocent victims of a furious blame placed over us.

Why me, I kept asking? Why _me_? I never _asked_ for this!

I walked over to the computer I shared with my cousin Carrie, went into the Internet, and logged into my Headpage account. I saw numerous messages from both my friends and complete strangers, all speaking in a singular, common voice. One of hatred and loathing. I checked all of the messages I received during the past month, hoping to find someone who was still supporting me even after what happened.

I only found one person, whose message was recent. She was listed as 'N.B.'

_**"You are not to blame, Adyson. I know how you feel. Talk to me as soon as possible. N.B."**_

That was her message, and there were no others. He or she wanted me to _talk_? I didn't know if I should do it. What if this N.B. person was just trying to lure me out so everyone else can literally throw insults at me? But I needed someone's shoulder to lean on. My parents were still grieving, my aunt and uncle were trying all they could to divert any personal attacks, and my cousins weren't really the best of supporters. I decided to take the dive and sent back a message.

_**"Hi...N.B. I don't know who you are, but thanks for supporting me."**_

I waited. Then, the _BING!_ signaled the arrival of N.B.'s response.

_**"You're welcome. I saw you and your parents on the news, and I knew instantly that you'd be in trouble with the citizens of Danville. My son also did a terrible thing, and I know **_**exactly _what your situation is. I've gone through with it before. And I've now gotten past_ _it."_**

I smiled. There was someone who I can relate to in this time of crisis! I sent a reply.

_**"Wow. How'd you get over all of that harsh criticism?"**_

_BING!_

_**"I wish I could tell you everything, but I fear I might overload the message box capacity. It's quite a complex process. I think we should meet personally, you, your family, and me. And also the three other families. You all need to know that no matter what these people say, you're never to blame and there's nothing you can do about what your child or sibling or cousin did. I'm flying over from Louisiana as we speak, and my flight's almost reaching Danville. What do you think? Should we meet?"**_

I blinked rapidly. N.B. wanted to meet all of us? I only met this person a minute ago and he or she was asking to meet up with me and my family? How was I supposed to know this wasn't some psycho prepared to slaughter us? Or some government official out to arrest us?

Then there came another _BING!_ N.B. had sent another message.

_**"I completely understand if you don't want to. Just know that out there, there's someone rooting for you."**_

Well, this N.B. person was sure being respectful. But I still had my doubts about this meeting. I responded.

_**"Give me some time to think about it."**_

A couple of minutes later, the _BING!_ came.

_**"Sure thing, Adyson."**_

With the online conversation over, I decided to log out. I went downstairs, pondering over what had just happened.

* * *

_**No POV**_

Phineas paced through his backyard, muttering angrily to himself. Minutes ago, he had just gotten into his first argument with his father. Lawrence was shocked when he received the call about Phineas's arrest for egging the Radeson house, but when he tried to give his stepson a lecture, Phineas yelled at him, and soon, they were shouting at each other angrily. Candace, Adrian, and Lucy tried to settle things, but Phineas wound up insulting them too. The chaos all ended when Phineas bitterly told Lawrence, "You're not my dad. My _real _dad's dead. You're just a replacement." And with that, he then stormed out of the house and into the backyard, where he began his angered pacing.

All thoughts of rationality were quickly slipping away from his mind, with the empty spots being occupied with thoughts of rage and hatred. The only thing he could think of was unleashing his hatred upon the four families of the shooters. That way, he believed the deaths of everyone he knew, including his mother and Isabella, would not be in vain, and the psychological scars of those that survived the massacre would be lifted. For some reason, Phineas now saw that as rational. But it was now turning him mad. No other thoughts crossed his mind.

"Hi, are you Phineas Flynn?"

Phineas twirled around and angrily spat, "Yeah. So what?"

He froze on the spot. Standing at the gate door was _Isabella_.

...No, it wasn't really her. As soon as reality came back to him, Phineas took notice of the platinum-blonde hair, the bright-green dress with a black T-shirt underneath, and the green bow on her head. He cursed himself for believing this strange girl was actually Isabella.

"I'm Anabel Shapiro, Isabella's cousin," the girl said. "I was told you were a friend of Isabella's, is that right?"

"No," Phineas replied bitterly. "I was _more_ than just a friend. ...I..._would've_ been." His voice suddenly became more strained. "But...of course...that'll..._never_...happen..."

Growling angrily, he punched the trunk of the backyard tree with all of the force he could muster. He felt the pain shoot up his arm, into his brain, and up into his brain, but Phineas let it all sink in without making so much of a flinch. In the face of the tragedy, pain and anger were his two best friends now.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that," Anabel said sorrowfully.

"No you're not."

Anabel raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

"You're NOT sorry," repeated Phineas, not looking at her. "You weren't there when _it_ happened. You weren't even here _ever_. I never knew you until now. Why should I take your word of sorrow?"

Anabel seemed to recognize the anger that was issuing from him. "Well, I understand if you're angry. I'll just go now."

And with that, she walked away. Phineas glanced at her, and noticed that she was heading for Isabella's house. A few vehicles that he didn't recognize were parked in the parkway or alongside the adjacent sidewalk. Obviously, some relatives had come to give Vivian a shoulder to lean on.

Just then, Baljeet, Buford, and the rest of the gang entered the backyard, all looking sullen. Phineas remembered that it was this time that the entire group gathered to mourn the loss of their fallen friends.

"Hey, guys," Phineas greeted sadly.

"Hey, Phineas," replied Baljeet. "Who was that girl?"

Phineas's reply was blank, nonchalant. "Some cousin of Isabella's."

"Oh."

No one spoke again for the rest of the day.

* * *

**Citizen #1:** I think the families are to blame for the shooters' actions as much as the shooters themselves. They're supposed to be responsible for recognizing the behavioral problems of their relatives, and yet, they failed most grievously in that matter.

**Citizen #2:** Frankly, I'm not really surprised that practically everyone voted 'Yes' on to place blame on the shooters' families. I, for one, voted the same. After all, the parents have duties to watch over their children, ensure they don't do the most reckless acts that endanger them and/or others. But these parents, they didn't fulfill their duty, at least they didn't do so correctly. One of them even had a large stash of firearms within easy reach of one of the teenage perpetrators, Sweetwater, I believe. What kind of _parent_ leaves their weapons accessible to their children?

**Ron Goldmann:** That was the common reaction to the number-one question of the month: "Should the families of the Mid-Summer's Festival killers be placed under as much blame as their relatives'?" However, there are a select few who disagree with the many, _many_ citizens who voted 'Yes'. Tonight, we interview one of those people, who asks to have his face not shown. His real name also wasn't disclosed; he specifically asks us to credit him as 'Leo D. Vynchee'. Mr. Vynchee, why do you think the families aren't to blame?

**Leo D. Vynchee:** _(obscured)_ Well, the shooters, they, like, completely fooled their parents, their siblings, their cousins, their friends, everyone. They kept telling people that they were changed, and everyone believed them. And it's not about words, it's about their actions too. Their actions have been normal, like any other person in the world. How would anyone know they were hatching a grandiose scheme of death and destruction? No one suspects the ordinary.

**Ron Goldmann:** How _exactly_ do you know the shooters were acting normal? Investigators have verified that they were usually described as being volatile and full of hate, warning signs for any rampage killer.

**Leo D. Vynchee:** ...I am acquainted with someone who knows one of the shooters. I shall not reveal her name, but this friend tells me that the shooter acts like any other regular person. And I believe this friend greatly, for she never lies.

**Ron Goldmann:** But obviously this person was fooled.

**Leo D. Vynchee:** Exactly. Which comes back to my counter-argument: those shooters fooled everyone into thinking they weren't homicidal maniacs.

**Ron Goldmann:** But all of the evidence supplied by the police investigators has shown that the shooters' behaviors were all erratic and hateful long before the massacre. There have been videos, journals, and photos concerned on all four of them, showing disturbed and dangerous souls. It's obvious that this friend you mentioned was being inadvertently ignorant.

**Leo D. Vynchee:** She is NOT ignorant, she never is! I would know!

**Ron Goldmann:** I don't mean to upset you, Mr. Vynchee, but all of the evidence shows-

**Leo D. Vynchee:** To HECK with the evidence! You're trying to steer this argument away from my opinion! This interview's over! _(stands up and leaves)_

**Ron Goldmann:** Well then, in wake of this interview, this reporter has two words to say about Mr. Leo D. Vynchee: anger management.

* * *

**A/N:** And that concludes the newest chapter! Looks like Phineas is being consumed by the grasp of OOC-ness, someone in the group that egged the Radeson house has some guilt issues, and Adyson has someone who is supporting her. Mysteries arise!

At this point of the story, I'm a bit low on ideas, so until I get to the last portion of the story, you are all allowed to send me ideas if you wish! JUBILATIONS!

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed:

_**Galaxina-the-Seedrian [Yes, if only he understood...]**_

_**shadowayn (guest reviewer) [Indeed, Ferb would likely react like how you said if he found his friends abusing one of their own.]**_

_**sonicboy678**_

_**Jmancman [Uh, sorry...I didn't understand your review there.]**_

_**MonkeyLover422 [It'd be a bit interesting to think of what would happen if Adyson didn't stop Ben there...]**_

_**FerbFlecher151 [Thanks!]**_

**_Randomchick16_**

**_Speedman12 (guest reviewer) [And let me tell you this, there's ANOTHER reason why Ben acted this way...]_**

**_AuraEsp (guest reviewer) [I shall! _:D_]_**

**_Robot Wolf 26Z [Yeah, it's kinda sad to know that Phineas is definitely going down the same path as Ben, with the survivor's guilt.]_**

**_Kitty O [Well, that's scary...]_**

**_Number 4 (guest reviewer)_**

**_Da Darkest Knight [Yes, Andrew is 'GOD'.]_**

**_WordNerb93_**

**_Yellow Car (guest reviewer) [Oh, Ferb will know how right the wrong, I assure you!]_**

**_Rosebubbles1234_**

**_person124_**

**_The Magic Catgirl [Well, makes you feel lucky, doesn't it?]_**

**_Out with a Whoosh and a Thunk_**

I don't know if you heard, but today, some troubled kid in Maryland opened fire at his school during the first day and injured a 17-year-old boy. Fortunately, that was the only casualty, and no one else was killed, but let's all wish the shooting victim a good recovery!

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	17. Before: Lunch at the Googolplex Mall

**A/N:** This will be just a short chapter, nothing more of a real biggie, and Ben will not be featured in this one, for he is in the mental health facility at this point. But he will still be of some focus in the chapter.

Before I begin, I've been getting reviews that have been kindly complaining about the attitude of the citizens of the Tri-State Area, in which they blamed the families for the shooters' actions. Which is, of course, understandable. I am quite aware that everyone's overreacting, and the whole thing was actually a bit intentional. See, my time of watching the show has taught me that even a car accident will be usually treated as comic relief as long as no one's injured. Since the Tri-State Area appears to be totally unscathed by horrible tragedies such as this, no one really knows how to react, explaining the whole overreaction issue. Hope this clears things up for everyone.

Now, ENJOY!

* * *

**_Sweetwater Camera POV  
September 1, 2014  
02:11:45 P.M.  
10 months, 15 days prior to the massacre_**

_(begin videotape. Adyson is aiming the camera at all of her friends, who are seated at a table in the Googolplex Mall food court.)_

**Adyson:** _(off-screen)_ Hiya, guys!

**Phineas:** Jeez, Addie. Keep this camera thing up and you'll become Irving number two.

_(Faraway, Irving accidentally stumbles over from behind a couch, but readjusts his camera and goes back to his hiding place.)_

**Adyson:** Well, don't blame me for videotaping you guys all the time! I thought this would be something to look at when we're older. A flashback to the better days.

**Katie:** I thought those videos were for your kids.

**Adyson:** That too.

**Django:** _(arriving with food trays) _Here we are, guys! The food you all ordered!

**Adyson:** Why, thank you, Django.

**Django:** You're welcome.

_(Adyson sits down and starts eating the food from her tray. Cut to Isabella finishing her burger.)_

**Isabella:** Wow, Slushy Burger never fails to deliver the best food.

**Baljeet:** Actually, it's not really the best food, scientifically speaking. Did you know that a Slushy Burger-manufactured cheeseburger contains a lot of saturated fat?

_(Buford punches Baljeet in the arm)_

**Buford:** Shut it, 'Jeet. Don't ruin my lunch here!

**Wendy:** _(clutching Baljeet's arm lovingly) _Leave him alone, Van Stomm. What's Baljeet ever done to you?

**Buford:** He was a nerd the moment I first met him.

**Ginger: **Baljeet's not a nerd. He's an incredibly cu- I mean, _smart_ person who's trying to save your life. You should probably listen to him.

**Buford: **_(shrugging)_ Nah. I'd rather eat my food without any worries.

_(Isabella sighs as she looks at Baljeet and Wendy. Phineas looks at her._)

**Phineas:** Something wrong, Isabella?

**Isabella:** What? What? Oh, no, nothing wrong. Nothing wrong at all, Phineas! _(smiles innocently)_

**Phineas:** _(smiling) _Alright! _(resumes eating)_

_(Cut to the group almost finishing their food)_

**Django:** _(off-screen) _So, uh, Addie...how's Ben doing?

_(silence)_

**Gretchen:** DJANGO!

**Adyson:** No, no, it's okay, Gretch. Ben's doing fine. He's making good progress. He's even made some friends in the facility. They're...kinda _creepy_ though. Then again, they're all patients of a mental health facility, so I guess that's nothing to be worried about!

**Phineas:** It's good to hear Ben's doing well! He's a great friend, if you put aside his moody behavior.

**Katie:** _(off-screen, in a hopeful voice) _Did he mention something about, say, _me_?

**Adyson:** No, Katie, sorry.

**Katie:** Oh.

_(cut to the camera facing Phineas and Isabella)_

**Phineas:** I probably shouldn't have made that cheering-up device for him. It upset him even more.

**Isabella:** Nonsense! You were just trying to help him, and that's all that matters!

**Phineas:** But maybe his private business is his private business.

_(Isabella clutches his hand, looking at him seriously)_

**Isabella:** Don't you ever_ say_ that, Phineas. You want to help people in trouble, and that's you were trying to do with Ben. Deep inside, Ben's probably thanking you for all your help right now. Just because Ben became more upset doesn't mean you should stop pitching in. You're a good person, Phineas, and that's what makes you you. Don't let anything change that!_  
_

**Phineas:** Really? ...Gee, thanks Isabella.

**Isabella:** My pleasure. _(resumes eating)_

**Adyson:** _(quietly, to Django) _And to think, we were close to seeing a Phinabella moment there.

**Django:** Yep.

**Phineas: **What was that?

**Adyson: **What? Nothing, nothing!

_(Isabella glares at her angrily)_

**Phineas:** No, you said something about 'Phinabella'. What's that?

**Ferb: **Just a popular name coined by fans of a TV show who want to see a romance in the show become canon.

**Phineas:** Really? Thanks for the explanation, bro.

_(Ferb gives the thumbs-up, not only at Phineas, but at Adyson and Django. Everyone sighs in relief.)_

**Baljeet:** Hey, by the way, did anyone of you see the news about that school shooting in Louisiana?

**Isabella:** Yeah. That was so terrible, very terrible.

**Gretchen:** It's a tragic waste that has claimed the lives of innocent souls.

**Phineas:** That was very sad. Well, on the bright side, it's a good thing none of that happens here in the Tri-State Area!

* * *

**A/N:** Oh, the tragic irony of it all!

Hopefully the whole mentioning of the school shooting thing wasn't too offensive, considering that it comes just a few days after that shooting in Maryland. Just so you know, the victim was well in my mind as I wrote it down.

Next chapter, we will focus more on Candace, Perry, and Irving, whom I seemed to have unintentionally left out for the past few chapters.

I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing:

_**Kitty O [Oh. Well, everything's all coincidental, so don't get creeped out!]**_

_**Out with a Whoosh and a Thunk [Hey, you guessed it as Buford! You are CORRECT! You get a year's supply of free cyber-cookies as a reward!]**_

_**sonicboy678**_

_**WordNerb93 [I too would've been a part of that one percent.]**_

_**Galaxina-the-Seedrian [You'll find out who N.B. is, eventually. And yes, Phineas deserves a little slapping time!]**_

_**MonkeyLover422 [Well, that IS creepy and coincidental!]**_

_**shadowayn [Thanks for the review! And I'll be sure to be on the lookout for "Turn Around"; it sounds like a great movie!]**_

_**Rosebubbles1234**_

_**Speedman12 (guest reviewer)**_

_**Jmancman [Ahhh, gotcha!]**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z**_

_**TheNargana [Well, if you read the above Author's Notes, you'll get the explanation.]**_

_**Magisking122 (guest reviewer) [Well, it always helps to be aware of what's happening around you.]**_

_**Yellow Car (guest reviewer) [Riling the group into rage, that's what I meant. Thanks for your review!]**_

_**Banjoplatypi (guest reviewer)**_

_**The Magic Catgirl [Thanks for thinking Phineas isn't really all that OOC.]**_

_**Kitty in Boots**_

_**Flying Liberty [Well, you'll find out eventually.]**_

I know, short chapter's short. But you never know what important details lurk around in this chapter...

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	18. After: Labor Day

**Anita Weston: **In other news, due to the usage of military-grade weapons in the Mid-Summer's Festival massacre, the Firearms and Related Accessories Division of the international company, 107 Industries, has cut off all of its shipments to the Tri-State Area. The FRAD has been known to supply military-grade guns, which are all shipped to the National Guard. Supervisor of the FRAD, Greg Cross, had this to say about the shipment-lifting:

**Greg Cross:** _(via recording)_ We at 107 Industries and especially the FRAD are heavily saddened by the misuse of firearms at the festival, and we continue to mourn for those who tragically had their lives cut short because of this. While we believe in the 2nd Amendment, we also believe that senseless violence is just, well, _senseless_. To ensure that no one is able to access our military-grade weapons, we have decided to permanently lift all shipments of any kind of gun to the Tri-State Area. We shall not become the inadvertent puppeteers of an emotionally-disturbed individual or individuals. We do not urge other gun-manufacturing companies to do the same, but we hope that by making this decision, the chances of gun violence in the region will take a considerable decrease.

**Ron Goldmann:** Investigators have confirmed that none of the military-grade weapons used in the massacre were shipped by 107 Industries. _(pause)_ Excuse me, I've just been given this breaking-news report. Alexandru and Stefania Vladimirescu both woke up to find a man armed with a machine pistol in their room. Mr. Vladimirescu, who had a revolver in his possession, shot the home intruder dead. The identity of the intruder hasn't been specified yet, but considering the fact that none of their possessions have been burglarized, he was most likely seeking retribution for the 37 lives lost during the festival massacre, which was committed by the Vladimirescus' son Gabriel and three others.**  
**

**Anita Weston:** It looks like the heat's really on for the families of the four shooters.

**Ron Goldmann:** You got that right, Anita. Stay with us after the commercial break for continuing news coverage of the Mid-Summer's Festival massacre.

* * *

_**Candace's POV  
September 3, 2015**_

It is Labor Day today, and the two-month anniversary of the festival shootings is slowly looming upon Danville like an unwelcome shadow. Unfortunately, Phineas's recent behavior hasn't changed one bit. He is still raging on from the loss of our mom and Isabella, and the still-comatose Ferb, and he continues to blame Adyson, her family, and the other three families. As I speak, he is sitting in a jail cell, having landed there after trying to attack Adyson's father. In two days, he'll be coming out, but I doubt his emotions will have improved.

Dad's lost hope in trying to bring sense to Phineas. After that argument between the two of them, he sunk into a deeper depression. I can't blame him. I had a similar argument with Phineas a couple of days before his arrest, and it didn't turn out any better. Why'd we argue, you ask? Well, I happened to support the families of the four killers.

Unlike most people in Danville, I actually think that the four families shouldn't be subjected to blame for their relatives' actions. They had no idea they would be capable of mass murder, or otherwise they were swayed to believe that. That poll the Tri-State Area government released weeks ago, I voted 'No'. But only a few voted the same as me. The only people I know who voted such were Stacy, Jenny, and this Leo D. Vynchee guy, who has now made a number of appearances on television, still remaining anonymous and continuing to voice his support for the Sweetwater, Radeson, Vladimirescu, and Garrison families. He is sure waltzing through the line that marked his safety with the public, with his statements of support and sympathy. ...Everyone who voted 'No' sure is.

_DING!_

The ringing of the elevator tells me that I have reached the fourth floor of the hospital. I am currently visiting Jeremy, who, like Ferb, became comatose from his gunshot wounds. I step out of the elevator, confirm with the receptionist about my visit, and walk to room 4202, the beeping of Jeremy's lifeline coming closer and closer. I clutch the bouquet of roses I bought for my boyfriend more tightly.

I slowly open the door and immediately see the rest of Jeremy's family by his bedside. Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Johnson, and, quite unfortunately for me, Suzy. The former two smiled small, welcoming smiles at me, but Suzy, being her usual demonic self, gave me an angered frown. I ignore it, set the rose bouquet on the plastic table sitting beside Jeremy, and sit down beside Suzy.

"Why are _you _here?" asked Suzy quietly.

"Suzy, _please_!" Mrs. Johnson hissed sternly. "Candace cares for Jeremy, just like you and me. Please, give her some respect and privacy!"

Suzy grunted angrily and turned away from me. Just then, she whispered, "It's all your fault."

"My fault?" I asked. "Why is it _my fault_?"

"If you weren't Jeremy's girlfriend, Jeremy wouldn't have gone to that festival!" screamed Suzy.

"SUSAN JILL JOHNSON!" Mrs. Johnson chided. "Don't you DARE talk to Candace that way!"

Suzy opened her mouth, preparing to argue with her mother, but thought better and just let out an angry yell before storming out of the room, slamming the door behind her and startling a few nurses and patients.

I stared blankly at the door, then let out a heavy sigh. Not only do I have relationship problems with Phineas, but I have to face the wrath of Suzy, which has doubled the moment Jeremy was shot. She thinks that I'm to blame. Doesn't Suzy see the fact that I love Jeremy and he loves me? What's wrong with that?

* * *

_**Irving's POV**_

I stroll into the Googolplex Mall with my parents, the hood of my new sweater still drawn over my head. I look around nervously, hoping that no one recognizes me and causes a scene. For almost two months now, I've been trying to hide myself away from the public, who still considers me a hero for standing up to one of the festival shooters. My parents don't understand why I'm treating this as a bad thing. ...They don't understand what I had to go through...what I'm going through _right now_. Fortunately, they're caring and understanding enough to let me have the sweater.

Albert's doing well. He recovered from the injuries he sustained from the bomb blast and is now attending his college again. But he calls me every day, congratulating me for my heroism. For the last few calls, I intentionally leave them unanswered.

I tap my foot impatiently as my parents spend the next few minutes examining the new clothes hanging on the racks, looking around all the while. So far, no one's recognized me. And yet, I still look around. I have to stop; people will become curious and I will attract attention, which is EXACTLY what I don't want. But I still look around. The pressure of being a local celebrity has taken a toll on my mind. I barely even sleep at night.

I am not proud of my accomplishments. It would've been better if no one died in the face of my bravery. But alas, 37 lives have been lost, and people look up to me.

"Irving, what do you think of this shirt?" my mom asked. I signal her to not address me by name, but she didn't recognize it.

"It looks good," I replied quickly, then looking at the cashier. She hasn't noticed.

I let out a sigh of relief and take a step backward, knowing that there is a chair behind me that I decided to occupy. But it was already occupied.

"Excuse me," the man said.

"Sorry," I replied, foolishly looking at him. I realized my mistake a split-second later and turned away, but it was too late. He recognized me.

"Hey, I know you! You're that kid who stood up to one of the festival killers! My daughter's a fan, and so am I!"

"Oh, crap," I groaned as I walked away at a fast speed. Unfortunately, I was too preoccupied with the situation to notice the three women ahead of me. Seconds later, I clumsily collide into them.

"Hey, watch it!" one of the women cried. Just then, she saw my face and gasped, as did her two companions. "Hey, hey, I know you! I saw you on TV!"

"Oh, no, no, no!" I replied nervously. "You've got it all wrong! You probably have me mistaken with someone else!"

"No, I know those glasses from anywhere!" another woman said. "You're Irving, that boy who beat one of those shooters at the festival! Hey, can I get a photo of you with my friends?"

"Of course not," I hastily said as I ran the opposite direction.

"HEY, EVERYONE!" the third woman yelled. "THE BOY WHO STOOD UP TO ONE OF THE FESTIVAL SHOOTERS IS HERE!"

"Oh, no."

I spent the last hour trying to evade my many fans. This was too much. WHY is ever person in Danville calling me a hero? I'M NO HERO!

Though I was relieved of the chase when I came across my parents, who decided to take me home, I knew immediately that the pressure was far from over.

* * *

_**Perry's POV**_

I am extremely worried about Phineas. First he eggs the house of one of the festival shooters, then he tries to assault the father of another festival shooter. Worse yet, the father's young child had to watch. Now, he is sitting in a jail cell, just like one of the villains I have helped the OWCA capture. And I doubt that this anger of his will end there.

The OWCA isn't doing better than I am. The organization is still being investigated by government officials for neglecting to consider the bigger situation at hand. So far, none of the agents have been suspended, but Pinky, who has become my only means of finding out what has happened at the headquarters, recently informed me that two superiors were fired from their jobs. Sergeant Smith and Captain Cornwell, both of them excellent at their job. As a result, all of their agents have been put under the supervision of different superiors, whose chances of keeping their jobs were diminishing by the week.

Still reeling from the stress of the loss of his owner Isabella, Pinky has been in pretty bad shape emotion-wise. Fortunately, he has a new girl who is looking after him, a cousin of Isabella's whose parents came over to support Vivian. Anabel, I believe the name was. Pinky told me minutes ago that while she is a good caretaker, she was no Isabella. And Professor Poofenplotz, Pinky's arch-nemesis, has now temporarily retired from wrongdoing and visits Pinky weekly in private, offering the sincerest of condolences.

Speaking of such, Doofenshmirtz has been doing the same thing. In fact, from what he's told me, all of the villains in the Tri-State Area are doing the same thing. It looks like they've been shocked at seeing too much evil during the live coverage of the festival shootings. Turns out, Doofenshmirtz was more emotionally connected to the massacre than I previously thought: Vanessa was at the festival at the time the gunfire started, and though she managed to escape unscathed, she was emotionally scarred by the near-death experience.

Chattering to no one in particular (the house was empty), I decided to randomly wander into the backyard. There, Phineas and Ferb would always plan a new invention to make summer fun. Today, and for the last two months, it was nothing but depressing, quiet emptiness. Whenever it was occupied, the gang would just stand there and mourn the loss of their family and friends.

I chatter again. No response. ...I don't even know _why_ I'm chattering! This is getting boring. I could just enter my underground OWCA base and have fun with some of the brilliantly-made inventions there, but ever since I resigned, all entrances to the base have been automatically blocked off. My owners are all absent and I've got no one to talk to.

"Pssst, Agent P!"

Speak of the devil! Good ol' Carl was standing behind the wooden fence, waving at me. "Agent P, over here!" he hissed.

I scurried over to the fence, looked around, and turned into my agent mode.

_"Hey, Carl!" _I chattered, even though he wouldn't understand what I was saying. _"What's going on?"_

"Agent P, I've got some bad news," Carl said.

My eyes widened. What could possibly go wrong at a depressing time like this?

"Major Monogram's been fired from his position."

I rest my case.

"As a result, I've lost my job as his paid intern. I've got nowhere else to go! I can no longer go to college, my parents kicked me out, Major Monogram's disappeared ever since his expulsion so he can't take me in, and I know this is outrageous and completely out of hand for you, but...will you take me in?"

Well, how am I supposed to hide a teenage ex-intern? But I couldn't let Carl down. He was a good friend and colleague. I'll deal with hiding him later.

I nodded.

* * *

**A/N:** And here's the newest chapter! Hope you like it! I know people usually call Carl's job as 'unpaid intern', but I just watched Part Two of "Where's Perry?" and...well, I don't wanna spoil anything, so watch it or look it up for yourself.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

_**Kitty O [I know, it's understandable. And no, there was no shooting in Louisiana recently; it was all fictional and canon in the fic. Though Hurricane Isaac did hit the state and I send out my condolences to all of those affected.]**_

_**WordNerb93 [No, you said it all right.]**_

_**NattyMc [Yeah, and a sad one at that.]**_

_**CMR Rosa [Well, Doofenshmirtz was mentioned, so...]**_

_**Comment person [You noticed the whole breaking-the-fourth-wall scenario! HOORAY!]**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z**_

_**Galaxina-the-Seedrian [*hands over a box of tissues*]**_

_**Magisking122 (guest reviewer)**_

_**Randomchick16 [What?! I DID! Check the list again, maybe you missed your name somehow.]**_

_**sonicboy678 [*watches you facepalm yourself*]**_

_**Shadow5550 [I hope you don't mean the intense and graphic violence is amazing.]**_

_**MonkeyLover422**_

_**Mimi-loves-llamas [Thanks for your review! And I know what you mean when you don't know anyone who owns a gun. I live in California, where gun laws are strict too. The only ones I know who carry guns are cops, and that's about it.]**_

_**shadowayn [Hm, you reviewed twice. Thanks, though! **_**:D _Well, you'll see about that.__]_**

**_Kitty in Boots [Well, I guess you'll find out which facility soon. And thanks for understanding the OOCness.]_**

**_TheNargana [The time machine thing is something I will address by the near-end of the story.]_**

**_Out with a Whoosh and a Thunk_**

**_Yellow Car (guest reviewer)_**

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	19. Before: A Declaration of War

**A/N:** OMFG, I'm SO sorry for not updating any sooner! ...Well, it actually took five days for this chapter to come up, but still, I am here to give you a pleasant reading experience as fast as possible. Updating a story two or three days after the last update easily gets on my nerves!

As I write this, I am listening to "Unwell" by Matchbox Twenty on YouTube, which is kinda appropriate, as this chapter's supposed to be about the mentally-unwell Ben. Just thought I'd tell y'all.

...

Well, enough rambling. ENJOY!

* * *

_**Sweetwater Camera POV  
September 8, 2014  
10:18:48 P.M.  
10 months, 8 days prior to the massacre**_

_(begin videotape. Adyson is aiming the camera at herself.)_

**Adyson:** Hey, everyone! This is entry number..._something_...of my life as an average high-school student. Today marks a very special day. Wanna guess what the special occasion is? _(brief silence)_ Alright, meet the new and improved Ben!

_(stands aside to reveal Ben and another teenage boy sitting at the kitchen table)_

**Ben:** _(waving)_ Hey, all of you viewing this videotape years from now! I'm fresh out of the mental health facility, and I have never felt more alive! YEAH! _(gestures to the other boy)_ This is Tyler Garrison, one of my friends from the facility, who was released the same day as me!_  
_

**Tyler:** Hiya there! ...I kinda find it creepy that we're talking to a lifeless camera.

**Ben:** Relax, man, people will be viewing this eventually.

_(cut to Adyson sitting down at the kitchen table with Ben and Tyler)_

**Adyson:** So, Ben, how do ya feel?

**Ben:** Like I've just finished a triathlon. Tired, but relieved that the run is over. For too long I've been running away from my old life, refusing its embrace, but now, I've completed the race back to it. And I'm glad I am alive.

**Adyson:** That's excellent! I'm glad you feel better, Ben. I knew you'd come through it! I'm so proud of you!

**Ben: **_(smiling sheepishly)_ Jeez, I don't deserve this much attention! Thank Tyler, he's one of the main reasons I found meaning to my life again.

**Tyler:** Dude, there's always meaning to everyone's lives. You were refusing to embrace it for a while. I mean, it's understandable after what happened to your parents and all; I'd be as ticked at myself.

**Adyson:** So Tyler, I haven't heard much about you. Why'd you wind up at the facility? I understand if you don't wanna tell me-

**Tyler:** No, it's okay, I'll tell you. Two words: anger management. I'd practically turn into a volcano if someone pissed me off.

**Adyson:** Oh. Well, I hope you have a strong patience now.

**Tyler:** Oh, I do. The meditation sessions have done wonders! Never felt more at peace with myself.

_(cut to Ben reaching for the camera)_

**Ben:** Hey, Addie, may I borrow the camera for a sec?

**Adyson:** Why?

**Ben:** Me and Tyler wanna record the scenery of Danville. It's one of the self-control things they taught us at the facility. Sink yourself into nature, they called it. And we thought it'd be more exciting if we recorded it.

**Adyson:** Awesome! I'll come along-

**Ben:** No, no, no, the process involves...you know, like...it's sort of an alone time. I-I don't know how else to explain it-

**Adyson:** Oh, I understand, don't worry! You two have fun!

_(hands over the camera to Ben)_

**Tyler:** Don't worry, we will...

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**_10:30:29 A.M._**

_(begin videotape. Ben is recording Danville Park while walking down a walkway with Tyler.)_

**Tyler:** Jeez, meditation sessions. I was almost gonna crack up at that. What makes it more comical is that your lame-ass cousin _fell for it_!

**Ben:** Well, she was never the attentive type. That's why everyone calls her 'Accident-Prone Sweetwater'.

_(Tyler chuckles jeeringly)_

**Tyler:** What a loopy lame-o!

_(cut to Ben and Tyler stopping at an empty, grassy knoll overlooking each and every direction of the park. Ben directs the camera at Tyler.)_

**Ben:** Dude, what if my cousin sees this? This _is_ her camera, after all.

**Tyler:** Simple, we remove the tape and replace it with another one that I made for my own pleasure.

**Ben:** But...what if she finds out that we switched the tape?

**Tyler:** Dude, didn't you say your cousin wasn't 'the attentive type'?

**Ben:** Yeah, but-

**Tyler:** Then we're clear.

**Ben:** Don't _you_ have a camera of your own?

**Tyler:** Forget about it; the quality sucks ass. Now, uh...how're we supposed to position the camera to look at _both_ of us?

**Ben:** I guess we're gonna have to stand beside one another, real close. I don't know how to work the lens-adjustment thingy.

**Tyler:** Alrighty then...

_(cut to Ben directing the camera at himself and Tyler)_

**Tyler:** Dude, I hope no one sees us in this position and think we're gay or something...

**Ben:** Alright, um...who speaks first?

**Tyler:** I'll start. _(clears throat) _As you might already know, I'm Tyler-

**Ben:** -And I'm Ben-

**Tyler:** -And we're _excellent liars_.

**Ben:** It's just too easy. In this place, we can fool _anybody_. We fooled those psychologist idiots into thinking we were changed-

**Tyler:** -We fooled our families into think we were changed-

**Ben:** -Everyone's falling for everything we say. It's both hilarious and ridiculous! I might as well tell my aunt and uncle I'm gonna go hike up Mount Everest or something and they'll believe me!

**Tyler:** That's the thing that annoys me the most in this town. In the whole Tri-State Area! Everyone's GULLIBLE. And too happy-go-lucky. Happiness everywhere. You might as well call this place Happy-Land! It's freakin' annoying! _(smiles maliciously)_ But _we'll_ change that. We'll cause something that'll make EVERYONE cry, suffer, heartbroken, all of the like!

**Ben:** We officially declare **WAR** on the Tri-State Area, the happiest place there is in the world. You think you can escape the problems of the world? Well, you're wrong. And soon, we're gonna bring 'em to- _(points at the camera)_ -YOU.

**Tyler:** And we're gonna do that by assaulting a location that everyone in this city and this region treasures the most, a regional landmark. We're gonna shoot it up, blow it up, set it on fire, wreak as much havoc and destruction as we can! We already have the guns, we already have all the means of creating explosive and incendiary devices, we have everything we need to cause widespread fear and chaos! But what we don't have is-

**Ben:** -Our regional landmark. _(turns to Tyler) _I still think we should attack the Googolplex Mall. A lot of people are there every day; it's the perfect shooting range!

**Tyler:** Nah. When the news helicopters come in, I want them to _see_ us. The walls and ceiling of the mall will block the view.

**Ben:** But the police choppers will see us too.

**Tyler:** True, true. But by the time we're ready, I think we'll be able to have our own body armor. ...That Love Händel concert in January looks like a perfect target. Lots of people bunched up together in the open, loud music to mask the gunshots, and besides, the nighttime will make it hard for the cops to see us from the air.

**Ben:** But I love Love Händel.

**Tyler:** Fine, if you insist.

**Ben:** I think we'll be able to think of something soon. We've got loads of time to plan...

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**_10:45:19 A.M._**

_(begin videotape. Adyson is controlling the camera again.)_

**Adyson:** _(to Ben and Tyler)_ So, how was your walk?_  
_

**Ben:** It was quite the enlightenment. A walk in the park sure embellished us with nature.

**Tyler:** Agreed.

**Adyson:** Good! You know, Ben, I'm really proud of you. I really am. Don't forget that.

_(Ben smiles)_

_(cut to Adyson putting the camera on a nearby counter in the living room. It records as Adyson hugs Ben, kisses him on the cheek, and leaves.)_

**Tyler:** _(sitting on a couch)_ What a loser! I'd savor the look on her face the moment she's raped! HAHA!

**Ben:** WHAT?! Dude, you're not getting any ideas, are you?

**Tyler:** What, no? I'd NEVER do that! It'd blow my cover and I'll have to go back to jail and then that facility! ...Why?

**Ben:** Just because I don't like her cheeriness doesn't mean I completely _hate_ her. She's still my cousin, after all.

**Tyler:** Yeah, that's understandable. ...I still think she's a royal pain in the ass with her obliviousness and cheeriness and that other crud. _(looks at the camera) _Ben, that camera's still recording.

_(Ben looks at the camera, approaches it, and shuts if off. End videotape.)_

* * *

**A/N:** And we are officially introduced to another shooter, Tyler! What an ass...

I was originally planned to date this fictional video on September 11, but I immediately knew that might be disrespectful, so I changed it three days earlier. Ironically, today's the first anniversary of the widespread blackout that left several Southwestern states powerless. Being a resident of California, I was hit hard by the blackout. It was one of the most interesting experiences of my life, and I'll never forget it. I had to use a crummy self-powered radio to listen in on what was happening at the time, and cranking the lever was quite laborious. *sighs* What memories...

I'd like to thank those who reviewed the last chapter:

_**Galaxina-the-Seedrian**_

_**celebi4ever [Maybe later.]**_

_**Disneydude94 [I'm sorry you hate the story. It's quite understandable.]**_

_**NattyMc [Well, we're gonna have to see...]**_

_**MonkeyLover422**_

_**Comment person [Thanks for your review! It's perfectly understandable if you like the 'After' section better.]**_

_**WordNerb93 [Quite an insightful theory about Irving's role as citywide celebrity; maybe I might incorporate it, for I haven't thought of it earlier. ]**_

_**Randomchick16**_

_**Kitty O [Since when did Jeremy say he was cheating on Candace? **_**;)_]_**_  
_

**_sonicboy678 [Yes, yes I unfortunately do.]_**

**_shadowayn [Quite a good theory! But unfortunately, for the plot to progress, Phineas isn't gonna make that realization just yet, sorry.]_**

**_Robot Wolf 26Z_**

**_Mimi-loves-llamas [Excellent review, I loved it!]_**

**_Speedman12 (guest reviewer)_**

**_Magisking122 (guest reviewer) [Yes, I'll go into more detail in the next chapter. And thanks for thinking I could write a real-life book! Maybe I should...*starts daydreaming*]_**

**_Kitty in Boots_**

**_Shadow5550_**

Geez, what's up with the weather? Tornadoes have struck the Big Apple! Good thing no one was hurt, but still, I'm a bit terrified.

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	20. After: Tri State Rampage, Part 1

**A/N:** GOD, I HATE THIS FREAKIN' HEAT WAVE THAT'S STRIKING MY CITY! IT WAS 110 FREAKIN' DEGREES TODAY! GOD, IT'S ANNOYING THE HECK OUT OF ME! *starts cursing like crazy for several minutes*

*clears throat*

Hey, everyone! I was planning on posting this chapter sooner, but I came down with a bad fever. And, as I ranted on before, there was the humongous heat wave. But I've gotten over the fever, and the electric fans are on all over my house, and school's over for the week, so I've taken this leisure time to write this.

ENJOY! If you can...

* * *

**Ron Goldmann:** Good morning, Danville. We bring you this latest developing story from Marshtown. Authorities have discovered the body of 57-year-old Alexandra Wycker, shot dead in her bedroom. Neighbor Martin Lopez was the one who called in 911, immediately doing so after hearing the gunshots.

**Martin Lopez: **_(via feed) _Uh, I was washing the dishes when I heard seven to eight shots being fired from the house next door. As I dialed 911, I saw that Wycker boy Brett leave the house with guns in his hands and a large bag and a really big gun slung over his shoulders. Just took the car and drove off, like nothing happened.

**Ron Goldmann:** Marshtown police are warning everyone in town to take any sort of cover when they see an older green BMW SUV with a rusty grille and call 911 immediately. 16-year-old Brett Winston, who has a long history of depression and extremely violent behavior, is considered to be armed and extremely dangerous. Police have also taken the precaution to warn police departments of towns neighbioring Marshtown. We will continue to bring you details from this story. Back to you, Anita.

**Anita Weston:** Thank you, Ron. Onto the weather report. It looks like this storm that's been hitting Danville for months now will have no end in sight as of now...

* * *

_**Adyson's POV  
****September 8, 2015**_

_**"Jeez, meditation sessions. I was almost gonna crack up at that. What makes it more comical is that your lame-ass cousin **_**fell for it**_**!"**_

_**"Well, she was never the attentive type. That's why everyone calls her 'Accident-Prone Sweetwater'."**_

_**"What a loopy lame-o!"**_

I watch the videotape with my lower jaw hanging open stupidly, a tear cascading from my eye. My mom's arm, which is currently wrapped around me in a warm, graceful gesture, fails to be of great comfort for me. I heard someone sniffle, and I glanced at my father, whose eyes were red, tears ready to burst out of them. He has been in this emotional state ever since the officers told us about Ben, and while months have passed, I am still not used to seeing my tough yet caring and kind father broken like a shattered glass cup.

The Danville Police Department is close to concluding its months-long investigation, but its head, Commissioner Randy Gallagher, feels that we, as families of the Mid-Summer's Festival shooters, are ready to learn about what our relatives have been up to in the months leading up to the massacre. Not only are my parents and I here, but the parents of the three other shooters. I wasn't supposed to come, but I wouldn't stop insisting, _begging_, that my mother gave in and allowed me to view the videotapes the officers say Ben made with his friends.

Joyce also wanted to come, though she was still unaware of what was actually going on and believed that we were merely visiting Ben on his little 'vacation', as we fibbed to her. We didn't know how to explain to her as to why she couldn't come, so we just said that she just couldn't come. We should've come up with an excuse, because she started crying, saying that she misses Ben and wants to see him so badly. I told her that I felt the same thing too. It was the only truth I told her in this little storm of lies my parents and I established to protect Joyce.

But the storm of lies was the least of my problems. My greatest worry is the fact that I _failed _Ben. I should've continued to support him, even though he was out of that mental health facility. I thought he was changed, but I should've seen it coming. His behavior, no matter how innocent, was practically the same as before. And now that I've failed my cousin, he's turned everything I've ever believed in _on me_. I mean, Ben _used_ my camera, which I had devotedly intended to use just to chronicle my high-school life, as a backdrop for his sociopathic rants about the flaws of Danville's civilians and how he and his friends would correct it in their dark, twisted way. And now my camera has been considered a piece of evidence for months, and still is.

_"Why, Ben?" _I continue to ask in my mind. _"_Why_?"_

* * *

_**No POV**_

Despite the storm that continued to take the Tri-State Area by storm (no pun intended), Redding City continued to bustle with as much as activity as it would on a sunny day. At the A-Grade Diner alongside a well-paved street, patrons either talked or observed a football game being showed by an HDTV overhead.

Outside, a couple seated at a table were talking just as a waiter approached them to take their order. A young girl skipped down the sidewalk, humming a merry tune while her mother pursued her as she pushed a stroller occupied by a dozing infant. Three men walked out of the diner, conversing and laughing. A man wearing a formal brown suit answered his ringing cell phone, nearly bumping into a jogger who then stopped to catch her breath.

No one noticed the older green SUV slow down on the road despite the smooth flow of traffic. The passenger window rolled down automatically, and the barrel of a gun emerged from inside the car and took precise aim...

* * *

**Anita Weston:** Breaking news, two are dead and an additional four are injured after a drive-by shooting at the A-Grade Diner in Redding City. Witnesses have reported seeing the perpetrator as young and driving an older green BMW SUV with a rusty grille...

* * *

_**Adyson's POV**_

Leaving the police station was an extremely quiet scene. My Aunt Allison was waiting for us in the parking lot, being assigned to drive us home for my parents were too emotionally scarred to drive. None of us spoke a single word as we stepped into her SUV, to which she drove off.

We ignored the actions of the three other families and just went home. But me? As we passed by, I took a quick glance at the Garrison family, whom I've known for quite a while. The parents were sobbing hysterically as they hugged their two older sons. Despite everything that's happened, the circumstances that led to Ben's death, I still pity them and treat them with respect. They're a family too, like mine.

Fortunately for all of us, we might find the answer with this N.B. guy, whom I have communicated with and came to trust, even though he or she hasn't told me any details about what connected him or her to my situation. I am scheduled to first meet him or her sometime tomorrow, in the Googolplex Mall. I'm still nervous; what if the person's some sort of hippie protester who will pelt me with rotten tomatoes, or a civilian seeking revenge for the death of at least one of the 37 victims? But I am willing to take the risk if the reward will be salvation from this situation that continues to plague me and my family.

Speaking of which, Phineas has been bailed out of jail after he attacked my father in front of Joyce. His stepfather provided the money, but unfortunately, Phineas refused to embrace him due to a conflict the two of them have going on right now. I heard this from Django, who heard it from his sister Jenny, who in turn heard it from her friend Candace, three of the few who still don't blame me for what happened. That meant more days of anticipating another attack from Phineas, who is still driven by revenge for the loss of his mom, Isabella, and the still-comatose Ferb.

I remember visiting Ferb yesterday with Candace and Lawrence. Like Phineas (as I heard from Candace), I broke down and begged Ferb to wake up. I _know _he will disapprove of Phineas's brash and alarming behavior and successfully convince him to stop at once. I know such a scenario will occur. But I just NEED Ferb to wake up! But he still doesn't. I overheard the doctor arguing with Lawrence over whether they should remove the tube or not...

* * *

_**No POV**_

The motorist named Steve pulled his sedan over alongside a pullover area near the forested, small town of Nowhere and pulled out a map from the glove compartment. Examining it, he quickly deduced his location and sighed angrily, for he realized that he took a couple of wrong turns and was way off-course with his intended route to Boise. Steve cursed to himself for passing up the opportunity to buy his first GPS months earlier.

Putting the map away, he prepared to drive his car further down the road when he saw an SUV pull over next to him. The passenger window rolled down to reveal a teenage driver with long, oily blond hair and a pockmarked face.

"You lost, man?" he asked.

"Yeah," Steve replied, unfurling his map again and pointing at it. "Do you know how to get back to I-80 West? I'm trying to get to Boise, but it looks like I took a couple of wrong turns."

"Just go down the road, take the first left, go down the Bridge in the Middle of Nowhere, and then take the second highway entrance," explained the teenager. "Then, after a couple of minutes, key to the right and you'll be merging back into the I-80 West."

"Okay." Steve hastily wrote down the directions on a small notebook. "Thanks, man."

"No problem."

_**BAM! BAM!**_

Steve heard glass shatter, and suddenly, the teenager's head fell onto the steering wheel. The car horn blared across the forest, causing a couple of birds perched nearby to caw and fly off. The older motorist looked at his wing mirror and saw another teenager walking towards the two cars, a short-barreled rifle in his hand. Behind this teenager was an older green BMW SUV, whose engine was sputtering. Before Steve could act, the assailant took aim...

* * *

**Anita Weston:** This just in, a family of four pulled over near Nowhere to find the SUV belonging to suspected spree killer Brett Wycker. Near the SUV was another SUV, inside it a dead teenage driver. Also there was the body of a man, shot numerous times. Police presume that this man's car was stolen, as investigators found a set of tire tracks alongside the teenage driver's SUV. _(adjusts earpiece) _What was that? ...Oh. This just in, one person is dead and six more are injured in a series of drive-by shootings in Nowhere. The perpetrator's description matches that of Brett Wycker, and that he was driving a 2011 silver Honda Accord sedan with Indiana license plates...

* * *

_**Adyson's POV**_

"We're home."

The silence that hung over us for hours on end was finally broken, and so abruptly that I yelped out in surprise. But it instantly hit me that Aunt Allison was announcing our return to her house. The four of us stepped out, and I saw the front door open. Joyce hopped out of the house and skipped merrily toward us.

"YAY, you're home!" she cried, hugging me lovingly. "Did Ben say hi?"

"Yeah, yeah he did," I replied blankly, unfocused. I just ignored my sister and walked into the house, tight-lipped. Approaching the sofa in the family room, I collapsed on it, picked up the remote, and switched my aunt's HDTV on.

_**"Breaking news, another series of drive-by shootings kill three and injure four in the city of Browning. Brett Wycker is unanimously suspected to be the perpetrator. Police departments across the Tri-State Area are making official announcements for civilians to stay inside their homes, and a Code Level Beta-Red has been issued across the region."**_

Another incident of gun violence? I sigh angrily. When will this madness STOP?

_**"This is the most recent photo of 16-year-old Brett Wycker. People are urged to notify authorities the moment they spot someone matching this photo."**_

The photo of this Brett Wycker filled this screen. My eyes widened and I struggled to hold back tears the moment I saw it.

Brett Wycker looked obviously mentally disturbed, with his soulless green eyes, unkempt black hair, and ugly frown. But that wasn't what saddened me. It was the fact that he looked _just like _Ben. No, he didn't look exactly like Ben. But the look in his eyes, the way the evil and the hatred of everyone in existence clearly expressed itself from his face... _That's_ what reminded me of my cousin.

I press a button on the remote, hoping to change the channel and get away from the photo. Unfortunately, I switched to another news channel, which was also covering the killing spree rocking the Tri-State Area. And quite conveniently, there was the photo.

_**"-It is quite obvious here that this youth is mentally ill in some way, and that it wasn't noticed easily by adults-"**_

I changed the channel. ARGH! It's another news channel!

_**"-The question that remains is: should the mother Alexandra be to some blame for-"**_

I changed the channel. Damn it, why does Aunt Allison have _so many_ news channels?!

_**"-One dead and seven injured in more drive-by shootings at Kelling Town-"**_

I changed the channel.

_**"-We urge the community to remain inside their houses-"**_

I changed the channel.

_**"-Officers have found explosives inside Wycker's SUV-"**_

I changed the channel.

_**"-It was pure chaos! Shots were firing about, I was just running for cover underneath my table-"**_

I changed the channel.

_**"-Wycker was depressed for several years-"**_

My finger practically missed the 'Off' button.

_**"Man, are we in for a whopper of a storm today, aren't we?"**_

PHEW! At least _this_ news channel isn't covering Brett Wycker.

_**"Breaking news report: Brett Wycker has struck again, this time at a gas station located a few miles away from the city of Danville. Police are reporting five dead and three injured-"**_

I spoke too soon. I scream angrily and throw the remote down before putting my face into my palms, to which I start weeping. I couldn't take all of this pressure anymore. I just wanna _die_-

"Addie! Let's play!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" I screamed angrily, throwing my palms down. All anger receded the moment I saw Joyce's eyes, which were starting to water. I heard a whimper escape her mouth... My goodness, what have I done?

"Oh my goodness, I'm SO sorry, Joyce!" I hugged my sister, just as she started crying. "I didn't mean that, I swear!"

"Why'd you yell at me, Addie?" Joyce asked.

"I'm sorry, I'm just..._tired_," I lied through clenched teeth._  
_

"Ben must have played a lot with you, Addie," Joyce said, her sobs disappearing quickly, instead being replaced with innocent sniffles.

I sighed. I could've simply replied, "Yes, yes he did." But I couldn't do it. Lying to my five-year-old sister hurt as much as knowing that Ben was a killer. I mean, I've been teaching her that lying was bad, and ironically, _I_ was lying to her. I knew it was for her own good, but if she found out that I was lying, then she'd never forgive me. Never. I broke the hug and prepared to tell her part of the truth (I didn't want to actually tell her _everything_) when...

_**"We have confirmed reports that among the dead at the gas station shooting is, quite tragically, a survivor of the Mid-Summer's Festival massacre. Andrea Zabrowski was leaving Danville on a road trip to clear her of the psychological trauma she sustained after being shot numerous times in the head, torso, back, and legs by Benjamin Sweetwater."**_

Joyce instinctively turned, just in time to see a photo of Ben, excerpted from one of the terrible videos he made with his friends. His eyes were wide and full of evil, he was pointing out of the camera and at us, and his smile was maniacal.

"Ben _shot_ somebody?" Joyce asked.

I sighed and turned off the TV. "Joyce, I wanna tell you something," I said, catching her attention.

"What is it, Addie?" Her eyes were wide and pleading. I sighed again and began.

"Ben _isn't_ on vacation. I lied to you. We lied to you. Truth is...he's in a place where only bad people go."

"Ben is _a bad person_?" Joyce asked, her jaw hanging open. "But...I played with him! We played dolls and tea and-"

"He's a bad person, Joyce. He was bad inside, all along."

"But he ISN'T bad, I know it!" Joyce's eyes widened. "And you LIED to me! Lies are BAD, Addie! You told me that yourself!"

"Someday you'll understand-"

"WHY'D YOU LIE TO ME, ADDIE?!" Her eyes were watering again. I struggled to hold back my own tears.

"You were too young to hear about what Ben did-"

"BUT YOU **LIED** TO ME!" She stamped her foot. "YOU **LIED**! YOU'RE...YOU'RE...YOU'RE A **BAD SISTER**!"

The last four words hit me head-on with brutal force, like a jackhammer. I collapsed onto the sofa and watched sadly as Joyce ran off, crying again. Alone in the family room, I broke down. First Ben's dead, and now, Joyce hates me. I guess Joyce was right. I _am_ a bad sister. ...And a bad _cousin_ too... No wonder why I never knew Ben was hatching this destructive plan all along...

I heard the door swing open.

* * *

**Ron Goldmann:** This just in, a man mowing his lawn in Danville's suburbs was grazed in the shoulder. Calling 911, he reported seeing a silver Honda Accord sedan matching Wycker's stolen vehicle drive away from the scene. Investigators believe that Wycker might now be on the loose in our own city, somewhere in the suburbs.

* * *

_**Adyson's POV**_

I remembered the announcement that everyone in the Tri-State Area had to stay inside their homes. The moment I heard Joyce's crying trail into Aunt Allison's front yard, I instinctively stood up and dashed out of the family room, through the open front door, and stopped for a bit to see my sister slow down on the lawn. I ran towards her.

"JOYCE!" I cried. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO STAY INSIDE!"

"GO AWAY, ADDIE!" she screamed. "YOU'RE BAD!"

"_Please_, Joyce," I begged, "you HAVE to get inside-"

My blood ran as cold as the Arctic the moment I saw a silver Honda Accord sedan slow down alongside the sidewalk. I could recognize those green eyes, black hair, and frown anywhere. I ran to Joyce and grabbed her, hoping that Wycker wouldn't spot us in the seconds I would spend to pull my little sister into the house.

But he did.

I couldn't help but stand rooted to the spot with Joyce as Wycker stopped the stolen sedan right in front of us. He rolled down the passenger window and pointed a shotgun straight at us.

* * *

**A/N:** Aaaaannnnnddddd...CLIFFHANGER! Looks like Adyson and Joyce are in trouble! And unfortunately, you've gotta deal with a Before chapter before the cliffhanger is concluded! HAHAHA! I AM EVIL! *cackles evilly*

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

_**sonicboy678 [Indeed they have.]**_

_**TheNargana [I will, by the end of the story!]**_

_**Shadow5550**_

_**Mimi-loves-llamas [No, that wasn't Ben. I kinda confirmed Andrew to be the one wearing 'GOD' on his vest. I think. But anyway, good guess!]**_

_**shadowayn (guest reviewer) [No, sorry.]**_

_**Flying Liberty [Thanks for your review!]**_

_**AuraEsp (guest reviewer)**_

_**bookwrm123 [Why, thank you very much! That review meant a lot for me.]**_

_**DarkEVaughn**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z**_

_**Proxus (guest reviewer) [Yes, that already was mentioned, but don't be sorry. I don't mind if it gets suggested a lot. I mean, it's obvious that should happen.]**_

_**Kitty O [Well, you never know... **_**;)_]_**

**_WordNerb93 [Well then, greetings, fellow Californian! Even though you may not be there anymore, I'm still gonna think of you as one. Once a Californian, always a Californian, right? Especially with the gun-control rules they've got... Anyway, thanks for your review, and I will spoil to you that this story will end on a bright side. Maybe not as bright as you might think, but still.]_**

**_Galaxina-the-Seedrian_**

**_Magisking122 (guest reviewer)_**

**_Da Darkest Knight [Well, hope this chapter explains who the other shooters are.]_**

**_MonkeyLover422 [Please do be patient. Ferb shall awaken, but I don't think I'll do it soon. Or maybe I might, I just have a bad sense of calculating my own timing...]_**

**_The Magic Catgirl [Why, thanks for thinking I should be a psychologist. Although I'm not really into psychology, but thanks anyway!]_**

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	21. Before: The Armory

**A/N:** I just realized...I've been a member of this site for over a year now! JUBILATIONS!

Sorry for not updating in a while. I've been busy with my "Simpsons" fics, which I felt have been completely devoid of my love for some time. But fortunately, I've now taken this time to come back to this story and work on this chapter.

Before I begin this chapter, I wanna give you guys a little heads-up. The next few "Before" chapters might resemble the videotapes made by a certain duo whose names I will NOT mention because, well, saying their names will practically glorify what they did. As usual, I will remind everyone that this story is NOT meant to glorify incidents of senseless violence and the ones who perpetrated them. VIOLENCE ISN'T THE ANSWER, PEOPLE! Anyway, the similarity might be a bit distinctive, and I did have it in mind as I wrote this. But this is all part of the story, and I don't know how to put it any other way. Again, THERE IS NO INTENTION OF GLORIFICATION!

Enough with the rant. ENJOY! If you can...

* * *

_**Sweetwater Camera POV  
December 16, 2014  
02:44:10 P.M.  
8 months prior to the massacre**_

_(begin videotape. Tyler is operating the camera, which is focused on Ben. Both are in the backyard; a large storage shed is behind them.)_

**Tyler:** So you say you found out the combination to the lock, Ben?

**Ben:** Yep. You should see the stuff my uncle has inside there. It's an armory!

**Tyler:** Well then, let's see 'em. Hurry up, the others will be here in a few minutes. They don't know.

**Ben:** Okay, okay... _(approaches a combination lock on the door of the shed and starts rolling the dial) _20...12...34... _(lock unlatches) _And here we go.

**Tyler:** Awesome!

_(Ben opens the shed door and steps inside, followed by Tyler. Inside is a large amount of guns and boxes.)_

**Tyler: **Awwwww, _sweet_! This is enough to support a small army!

**Ben:** My uncle believes in the Second Amendment. _(scoffs)_ It's the Second Amendment that killed all those people at that school in Louisiana.

**Tyler:** And soon, it's gonna kill a lot of people here in Danville. So, how many guns are there, man?

**Ben:** I didn't count 'em all. I'm gonna bet...ten, eleven, at the most?

**Tyler:** Awesome. Let's see 'em. Show our weapons to the world.

_(cut to Ben taking out a handgun)_

**Ben:** Standardized Beretta 92FS semi-auto pistol, 15-round magazine.

_(cut to Ben taking out two handguns, both colored differently)_

**Ben:** .44 Magnum Desert Eagle semi-auto pistols, both holding 8 rounds.

_(cut to Ben taking out another handgun)_

**Ben:** FN Five-seven with 20-round magazines, designed to fit laser sights.

_(cut to Ben taking out another, smaller handgun)_

**Ben:** This, this is ridiculous, right here. _(shows handgun to the camera) _Beretta 21A Bobcat pocket pistol with 7-round magazines.

**Tyler:** Dude, that's just the lamest gun I've ever seen.

**Ben:** Lame, just lame. Definitely not gonna use this one. It can't even kill someone at point-blank range in the forehead! _(puts it away)_

_(cut to Ben taking out another handgun)_

**Ben:** Glock 18 selective-fire pistol with 33-round magazines. You can fire it in semi-auto mode or in an awesome fully-auto mode. Fully-auto mode's good, but the gun has a bad tendency of getting knocked out of my hands by the recoil. Makes you look like an idiot or something...

_(cut to Ben taking out a shiny revolver)_

**Tyler:** Dude, is that what I think it is?

**Ben:** Yep. It's the "Dirty Harry" gun right here. Seriously, it's the actual model. .44 Magnum Smith & Wesson Model 29 six-shot, double-action revolver.

**Tyler:** DAMN! Where does your uncle get this kind of stuff?

**Ben:** Where else? Any regular sporting goods store. _(scoffs)_ People don't know who they're selling their guns to these days.

_(both laugh)_

_(cut to Ben handing the revolver to Tyler, who begins imitating gunshot noises as he points it around)_

**Ben:** Alright, alright, dude, I think that's enough. I don't want you to mess it up or something.

**Tyler:** Fine... _(gives the gun back to Ben)_

**Ben:** Okay, we've got the pistols out of the way. Now, let's go to the big boys.

_(cut to Ben taking out a shotgun)_

**Ben:** Remington Model 870 20-gauge pump-action shotgun with a maximum capacity of 5 rounds. You might see this kind of gun on guards if you're going to a military base or something...

_(cut to Ben taking out another shotgun)_

**Ben:** Remington Model 1100 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun with a maximum capacity of 11 rounds. Usually, civilian models store a maximum of 5 rounds, but since my uncle's in the military, I guess this gives him access to law-enforcement model-type guns.

**Tyler:** Dude, your uncle's awesome.

**Ben:** _(chuckles a bit)_ Yeah, yeah he is.

_(cut to Ben taking out another shotgun)_

**Ben:** This, this is my uncle's favorite. He takes this baby all the time when he goes out on hunting trips. The Remington Sportsman 48 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun, designed for special hunting purposes, and it stores a VERY lame maximum of 3 rounds. Despite that, it's actually one of my favorite guns. Used this twice in my life when I went hunting with my uncle...just, well, just my favorite shotgun. Wish it had a larger capacity, though.

**Tyler:** I kinda like it too...

_(cut to Ben stroking the shotgun lovingly)_

**Tyler:** Dude, you know the gun's not alive.

**Ben:** _(pointing the gun at him) _Don't you DARE ruin my fun with my Lil' Marilyn! _(chuckles)_

_(cut to Ben putting away the shotgun)_

**Tyler:** Wait, you actually _named_ that gun?

**Ben:** I just made it up right now, to pull your leg.

_(cut to Ben taking out a rifle)_

**Ben:** Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle, police edition. Has a 5-round internal tube magazine.

_(cut to Ben taking out another rifle)_

**Ben:** Remington Model 8 semi-auto rifle with a 15-round magazine.

_(cut to Ben taking out another rifle)_

**Ben:** M1 Carbine semi-auto rifle with a 30-round magazine.

_(cut to Ben taking out another rifle)_

**Ben:** AR-15 semi-auto rifle with a 30-round magazine.

_(cut to Ben putting away the AR-15)_

**Ben:** And finally, the biggest boy of 'em all...

_(cut to Ben taking out a large rifle)_

**Ben:** DUN DUN DUN! AK-47 assault rifle with 30-round magazines!

**Tyler:** DAMN! You just blew me away, man!

**Ben:** I know, right? Get this, my uncle walked into a sporting goods store some years ago, spotted this baby, and paid a mere thirty bucks for it.

**Tyler:** They were selling this baby for _thirty bucks_?

**Ben:** Well, there was a 50% sale going on at the time. _(examines the rifle) _And man, was my uncle lucky or what? During a hunting trip, he took down a bear with this. Had to expend the entire magazine, but he thinks the bear was down the moment the first shot hit it.

**Tyler:** Hey, can I see it?

**Ben:** Sure, man. Just...don't mess it up. Don't break it or anything.

_(cut to Ben giving Tyler the AK-47)_

**Tyler:** It's _beautiful_...

_(cut)_

**Tyler:** I think I'm gonna call you...Andrea Kaitlin!

**Ben:** Really? Now _you're_ naming the gun?

**Tyler:** Shut up, man! I mean, look at it! It's a beauty! It can't be overlooked! It needs _love_! The least I can do is name her.

**Ben:** It's a girl now?

**Tyler:** A badass girl at that! _(aims the gun) _HA! Eat bullets, bitches! HAHAHA!

_(cut. The noise of a car engine is heard)_

**Tyler:** CRAP! That's Brandon's car! Quick, quick, quick! Put the guns away, quick!

_(cut to Ben putting back all of the guns)_

**Tyler:** Dude, hurry up! Why are you taking long?!

**Ben:** I've gotta put all of the guns back the way we found 'em! My uncle checks this shed every night! If he sees something misplaced-

**Tyler: **Forget about it, man! He'll probably think a box gave way or something. Come on, man, forget about it!

**Ben:** God, fine! But if my uncle finds out we've been toying around with his guns, we're screwed for life!

_(cut to Ben closing the shed door and putting the lock back)_

_(cut to Ben and Tyler going into the Sweetwater house, as the doorbell rings)_

_(cut to Ben answering the door, revealing five boys)_

**Boy #1:** Hey there! Are you Ben?

**Ben:** Yep.

**Tyler:** Brandon, my man!

**Boy #1:** Hey, Ty! What's up with the camera?

**Ben:** It's my cousin's. We're just recording randomly. Don't know why.

**Brandon:** Huh...

_(cut to Brandon and the other boys walking into the house)_

**Ben:** Um, guys? Can you please take off your shoes? My uncle and aunt won't like it when they find you guys messed up the floor with your dirty shoes...

**Boy #2:** Jeez, man, don't be a KJ.

**Ben:** What's...KJ?

**Tyler:** Killjoy, Ben. Guys, maybe you should take off the shoes. His uncle's in the military. You don't want him exploding on you.

**Brandon:** If you say so, man...

_(cut to Brandon and the others taking off their shoes)_

_(cut to everyone sitting in the living room)_

**Boy #3:** So Ben, what's your story?

**Ben:** Well, I come from Minneapolis, but I moved to Danville when my parents died in a car accident.

**Boy #4:** Oh. I'm sorry for that, man.

**Brandon:** Yeah. It sucks when someone you love dies.

**Ben:** No, it doesn't suck. It _hurts_. You see, I was driving the car. Then, I accidentally plowed into this other car that came out of nowhere. And I watched for a split-second as my parents got killed. But...but...it didn't _feel_ like a split-second. It felt like an eternity...

**Brandon:** Don't take it hard, man. Everyone's gotta go, sometimes.

**Boy #2:** Yeah, and don't blame yourself, for God's sake! That car came out of nowhere; it was the other driver's fault.

**Ben:** _(clenching his fists) _Yeah. It was _his_ fault...

_(cut)_

**Boy #5:** Um, maybe we should get to another subject. So, Ben, you enjoy Danville?

**Ben:** _(mood changing instantly)_ It's awesome! I've never had so much friends who care for me!

**Boy #3:** Aw, jeez.

_(cut to Tyler focusing the camera on Brandon)_

**Tyler:** So, Brandon, my man, how was your vacation to France?

**Brandon:** Jeez, it was so BORING! Couldn't understand the natives, and the food was kinda odd. I mean, who the hell eats _snails_? God, disgusting!

**Ben:** The world's a weird place, I gotta tell ya.

**Boy #2:** Agreed.

_(cut to the boys going to the family room to play some video games)_

**Brandon:** So Ben, what kind of video games do you have?

**Ben:** Grand Theft Auto.

**Boy #4:** Awesome!

_(cut to Ben, Brandon, and Boys #3 and #5 playing multiplayer)_

**Ben:** Let's go kill random people.

**Brandon:** Sounds fun. I'm bored anyway.

_(cut to the four playing their characters as they battle police officers)_

**Boy #5:** WHOA! I was almost a goner, there! Thanks for saving my ass, Ben.

**Ben:** Don't mention it.

**Brandon:** Jeez, Ben, you know how to land a head shot. You keep landing one on every single cop that you come across.

**Ben:** I call it experience.

_(cut to Tyler and Boy #2 going to the kitchen)_

**Boy #2:** Ty, man, how was the mental health facility? Did it help at all?

**Tyler:** Yep. Never felt much better in my entire life! I'm now practicing meditation. It actually helps!

**Boy #2:** Um...your lip is twitching.

**Tyler:** Oh, really? Never knew.

_(Boy #2 turns away to get juice from the fridge, while Tyler stifles a giggle)_

_(cut to Tyler going back to the family room, as the doorbell rings)_

**Brandon:** What the? Who's that.

_(Ben goes to the front door)_

**Ben:** Damn, it's my cousin and her friends.

**Tyler:** What? What're _they_ doing here?

_(cut to Tyler going to the door as Ben opens it, revealing Adyson, Phineas, Ferb, and the rest of the gang)_

**Adyson:** Hi, Ben!

**Ben:** What the heck are you doing here, Addie? I thought you'd be spending the entire day at Phineas and Ferb's?

**Phineas:** We were gonna, but then some random laser just hit the house and caused it to disappear. So, we decided we come here. After all, we never go to the Sweetwater house that much. _(sees Tyler and Brandon) _Hey!

**Brandon:** Um..._hey_...

_(cut to the gang entering the Sweetwater house)_

**Adyson:** So Ben, Tyler, who are your friends?

**Ben:** They're Tyler's friends, Brandon and his gang. Just ignore us and do whatever you want in the backyard.

**Adyson:** Okay!

_(Adyson and the gang go into the backyard as Boy #2 watches)_

**Boy #2:** Well, that's the lamest crowd I've ever seen.

**Ben:** Better get used to it. Adyson's my cousin, and she's a member of that crowd.

**Boy #2:** Adyson? You mean the cute girl with the bangs?

**Ben:** _(through clenched teeth) _Yeah...that's her all right...

**Adyson:** _(from the backyard) _Ben?

**Ben:** What?

**Adyson:** Why's the lock to my dad's storage shed open?

**Ben:** _(quietly, so only Tyler can hear) _Oh, _crap_...

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**_03:28:48 P.M._**

_(begin videotape. Ben and Adyson are alone in their bedroom. The camera is focused on both of them; it is on some sort of counter)_

**Adyson:** Wow. Who would've known that a bear might be loose in the neighborhood?

**Ben:** I guess I won't be sleeping again.

_(silence)_

**Adyson:** So...those boys were your friends?

**Ben:** Yep. All of 'em.

**Adyson:** Ben...I kinda don't like 'em.

**Ben:** Why not?

**Adyson:** I don't know. I mean, the way you were playing that Grand Theft Auto game, your friends seemed to be in it for the killing. Especially Tyler...

**Ben:** It's just a game, Addie! What's wrong with enjoying a game that involves killing people?

**Adyson:** Have you seen the news about that Louisiana school shooting? The guy who did it, he was a fan of violent video games-

**Ben:** I'm NOT Nathan Bremington, all right Addie?! I'm not gonna go out and start shooting people for God's sake, okay?! Now get off my back!

_(silence)_

**Adyson:** ...Ben, did you just get _angry_ at me?

_(silence)_

**Ben:** ...Sorry. Forgot my anger-management lessons. _(takes deep breaths)_

**Adyson:** Ben, I'm sorry if I offended you. I just don't want your...old emotions to come back.

**Ben:** They haven't come back. They'll never come back. They never did, the moment I left that facility. I'm changed, Addie.

**Adyson:** Okay.

_(silence. Adyson then smiles craftily)_

**Adyson:** So Ben...is there anyone at school you, I don't know, _like_?

**Ben:** Excuse me?

**Adyson:** D'you like anyone at school?

**Ben:** Why the hell are you asking me that?

**Adyson:** Thought I'd go to a lighter subject. And we're teenagers; romance is one of the key aspects of our lives. You've gotta have at least one person that you like.

**Ben: **_(blushes)_ I don't like anyone right now.

**Adyson:** AH-HA! You're BLUSHING! That's a tell-tale sign that you're hiding something! You like someone, don't you?

**Ben:** _(quickly) _I don't.

**Adyson:** Come on, tell me! I promise I won't tell anyone!

**Ben:** _(laughing nervously, sweating)_ I don't like anyone, Addie! Come on, give me a break!

**Adyson:** I just wanna know! I just KNOW you like someone! Humor me and at least give me a hint.

**Ben:** _(sighing) _Fine, I like someone. But I'm only gonna give you a hint!

**Adyson:** What is it?

**Ben:** It's...someone we know! Okay, that's done! That's it! End of story! End of subject! Let's talk about something else! How's the weather today?

**Adyson:** _(giggling) _God, you can be funny sometimes! _(looks at the camera) _Hey, why's the camera on?

**Ben:** I don't know.

**Adyson:** Maybe the on switch is stuck or something...

_(Adyson approaches the camera and shuts it off. End videotape.)_

* * *

**A/N:** And here we are, the newest chapter of my story! Next, we'll finally conclude the cliffhanger that has been holding you on edge for weeks!

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed:

_**bookwrm23 [So, it looks like you weren't sleeping for nine days, huh? **_**XD_]_**

**_Kitty O [Yes, yes they do.]_**

**_MonkeyLover422 (guest reviewer) [Damn, you're lucky with YOUR weather! Well, thanks for your review!]_**

**_Rosebubbles1234_**

**_Mimi-loves-llamas [Good to see that you've got things cleared up!]_**

**_Proxus (guest reviewer) [Thanks for your review! And I think the story might be 30-40 chapters long, I don't know yet.]_**

**_shadowayn [No, the new shooter is just attacking random people, unfortunately.]_**

**_NattyMc_**

**_Galaxina-the-Seedrian_**

**_WordNerb93 [You're welcome for the small spoiler!]_**

**_DarkEVaughn_**

**_humanusscriptor [I'm sorry you think that way.]_**

**_sonicboy678_**

**_Magisking122 (guest reviewer) [Indeed! And thanks for thinking I should write a book!]_**

**_TheNargana_**

**_Shadow5550 [Um...I hope you don't mean 'awesome' by 'Oh-someone's-killing-people-YAY!' awesome.]_**

**_PeacesignPhsyco [You better stay tuned if you wanna see what will happen to Adyson and/or Joyce.]_**

**_Robot Wolf 26Z_**

**_Yellow Car (guest reviewer) [Thanks for your review!]_**

**_goldwyrm12 [Oh! Hey, speedman12! Thanks for your review!]_**

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	22. After: Hostage Crisis, Part 2

**A/N:** Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for: ... ... ...The conclusion of last 'After' chapter's shocking cliffhanger!

* * *

**Anita Weston:** This just in, Danville police officers have surrounded a house in the Goodwill Springs suburban area. Officials haven't given out much details, but judging by what has been revealed, a gunman entered the house and took the residents hostage. We have live footage of the unfolding incident from a Danville News chopper.

_(cuts to live footage of the scene)_

Alright, judging by what we see out there, there is A LOT of officers present outside. Oh, a SWAT unit has just arrived. This appears to be a serious crisis. And...is that a silver Honda Accord sedan?

**Ron Goldmann:** Yeah, I think it fits the description of the vehicle stolen by Brett Wycker near Nowhere. ...You don't suppose...

* * *

**_Phineas's POV  
September 8, 2015_**

I watched the live coverage of the situation with mounting interest. The house they were showing, the one that's supposedly housing the gunman and his hostages...it looks like _Sweetwater's_ house... Lawrence, Candace, Adrian, Lawrence, and the cousins aren't home right now. They're visiting Mom's grave. They've always been since the..._event_. They're not here, so there's no harm in sneaking out...

I grab my sweater and my cell phone and dash towards the front door. Should Sweetwater die by this guy's hand...there's NO way I'm missing out on this...

* * *

_**Baljeet's POV**_

I was sitting on my sofa, surfing through the channels of my TV, my insides feeling completely devoid of any emotion. The death of Wendy still hung over me like a gray storm-cloud, and it seems to be affecting my mind. Just this morning, I could've sworn I saw Wendy standing in my neighbor's front lawn, but when I blinked, I just saw him, mowing the lawn, without a care in the world. _He_ didn't lose anyone in the festival massacre. _He_ wasn't there. He offered the sincerest of condolences to me, for he knew well of my relationship with Wendy, and yet, he _doesn't_ seem to understand...

Minutes after that, I nearly tried cutting myself while my parents were in another room. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. This marks my fiftieth suicide attempt in just under two months after that..._event_. I doubt I'll be able to reach the magic 100, though. I've gotta _do_ it sometime...

My cell phone rang, startling me. Sighing angrily, I answered, "WHAT?!" I was obviously angry. I was deep in thought, and the last thing I want in life is someone pulling me back to the unwelcome entity I call reality.

"'Jeet, something's up at Sweetwater's house." It was Phineas, and he sounded excited. "Some guy's holding them hostage or something. I'm gonna try and get as close as I can. Anyway, wanna come? You are NOT gonna wanna miss _this_."

"Sure," I replied, unfocused. I didn't care what I was getting myself into right now; all I wanted to do is to detach myself from this monstrous, unbearable reality.

"Good," Phineas said. "By the way, can you call in Byoof and Gary? I've already called up Joe, Hank, and Eddie, but I can't seem to get in touch with the others."

"Gary's on vacation in Seattle. Byoof, I don't know. I tried calling him once, but he didn't answer the phone."

"Then call him again. I doubt he'll wanna miss this. Meet ya at the Three Palms."

"Yeah, see ya..."

Phineas hung up, but me? I just dropped the phone on the ground. I didn't care. All of this was too much. Wendy's death, the news of that Brett Wycker guy, the fact that no one around me seems to understand...I just wanna disappear...

* * *

_**Buford's POV**_

I was sitting on my wheelchair as it was situated in the middle of my living room. I was focused on nothing but the small statue of Jesus Christ nailed to that cross, which was hanging from one of the walls. I was still wondering about my near-death experience. If what I saw was proof that the stuff I once called a bunch of baloney _isn't_ a bunch of baloney, then...what does _that_ mean about how I've been living my life? For my entire life, before that..._event_, I've been a lot of misdeed, bullying losers and nerds, vandalizing property, driving recklessly, etc., etc. ...Does this mean I might go to _hell_ if I continue behaving this way? Am I on the brink of being doomed? Am I just one step away from an afterlife constituting of misery and torture? Shit, this crap about God and Heaven and Hell is SO CONFUSING!

Suddenly, my cell phone rang. I looked at it; the number was from Baljeet. I didn't know if I should answer or not. I'm afraid I might let it slip that it was _I_ who called 911 when we were egging the house of those Radeson guys. But I've been ignoring my pals for too long. Besides, I NEED to get my mind off of the bigger things...

I answered, "Yes, 'Jeet?"

"There's something going on at Sweetwater's house-" began 'Jeet.

"Um, it's _Adyson's_ house," I corrected him. Recently, everyone's been calling Adyson by her last name, something I actually kinda found annoying. Don't know why, don't ask.

"Whatever. Anyway, it's big. Phineas wants us to meet him and the other guys at the Three Palms. We plan to get as close as we can or something."

"Isn't it a bit..._dangerous_?" I asked. Crap, I forgot to say that I've got this cautious thing going on now, ever since I got shot. I'm afraid of stepping into the other side of the law again. Isn't the influence of religion _annoying_?

"You don't have to come if you want. I really don't care." Understandable. 'Jeet hasn't been caring about _anything_ much. I kinda feel sorry for him. He's still moping about his girl's death.

"Sorry to hear that." I face-palmed myself upon saying that. I don't wanna sound _sensitive_! Everyone still thinks I'm as tough-as-nails as ever.

Fortunately, all 'Jeet said was, "No, no you're NOT." And with that, he hung up.

Jeez, did we swap _personalities_ or something?

* * *

_**Django's POV**_

The moment I recognized Adyson's house on live TV, I stood up and bolted for the door, not caring about those warnings they issued about that Brett Wycker guy being out there. Goodwill Springs wasn't that far from here. I even heard the sirens as the cruisers came in.

You'll be asking why I bolted outside. I just NEEDED to see for myself if Adyson will be okay. She's a nice girl, who's currently in emotional distress since that..._event_, and if she dies, then I'd NEVER forgive myself. I should've been there for her more, when she needed it.

I'm so concerned for her that I ignore my parents' and sister's cries for me to stay inside as I dash outside, speeding faster and madder than a road runner.

* * *

**_Phineas's POV_**

I saw 'Jeet running towards me, but to my displeasure, Byoof wasn't there.

"Hey, where the hell's Byoof?" I asked sharply.

"He couldn't come," 'Jeet replied, almost in a whisper.

"Well, his loss. Come on, guys, let's see if we can get close."

As the others and I walked into Goodwill Springs, towards the crowd of onlookers and reporters, I could hear Eddie whisper to Hank, "Is it just me, or did Phineas Flynn just _cuss_?"

Yes, yes I did.

* * *

_**Adyson's POV**_

I looked up fearfully at the barrel of the shotgun that was pointed at me. My pupils then darted to the gunman, 16-year-old Brett Wycker. His green eyes were alive with some sort of emotion I couldn't identify. Satisfaction? Pleasure? Anger? I didn't really know. I didn't know much about what he was thinking right now. But what I _did_ know is that he was the spitting image of Ben. Not physical-wise, but _emotion_-wise. He was obviously in some sort of emotional distress, and instead of being rational, like any other ordinary person, he relied on a gun to solve his problems for him.

And I felt so sorry for him.

I heard Joyce hiccup as she struggled to keep her crying at bay. My pupils darted to my dad, who was lying unconscious on the floor. They then darted to my mom, my Aunt Allison, and my three cousins, all cowering beside me. I then looked back at Brett. He was now looking out of the window, like he had just heard the police sirens that closed in to Aunt Allison's house a few minutes ago. I thought about attacking him, trying to get the gun out of his hands, but the rest of my family was vulnerable, standing in the line of the shotgun's fire, and so was I. Such a move was unsafe, not to mention brash. Our only hope was that a hostage negotiator end this peacefully with an emotional conversation, or SWAT storm in and end this peacefully with a hail of bullets.

I watched as Brett walked over to the kitchen table, put down his shotgun, and then man the M16 assault rifle that he stole from my dad just minutes ago. He walked towards a window near the front door and raised the weapon, obviously aiming for officers, but then, he seemed to think better of it, for he grunted angrily and walked back to us. A minute passed, and then, Brett aimed the rifle out of the window again, but let out an angered groan and walked to the kitchen table, where he sat down.

Then, the phone rang. Brett stormed over towards the phone and answered it with such force that he might as well rip the wire of the answering machine as a result.

"What?" he snarled. His voice was gravelly and hoarse, like he had spent almost an hour screaming as loud as he can. I heard the caller's voice speak on the other end, but I couldn't make out what was being said, though I had lots of good guesses.

Then, Brett replied, "No, I'm not surrendering. There's NO justification in ending things PEACEFULLY!" The caller spoke incomprehensibly some more. "No, there's NO way I'm going back to the loony bin. It was _awful_ there. No books, no music, nothing. All it was was just a bunch of smart-ass talk about how you should think better about your life. I'm NOT going back to that. You want me? Come and GET me. Better not kill this family in the process."

Then, he hung up, slamming the phone into the receiver. I actually heard a little _CRACK! _as he did so. He then stalked over to me and my family, his eye twitching a bit. He started muttering something and raised my dad's M16 to the ceiling, looking like some sort of professional soldier. He started pacing around, his muttering becoming faster and more angry. I had a sinking feeling that he was contemplating on whether he should kill us or not. Brett then approached the window near the front door again and aimed the M16, but after a minute, he groaned once again and walked back to us.

A few minutes passed, and then, the phone rang. Brett walked up to it and picked up the phone, but then slammed it down to the receiver without saying a word. He then took one of our kitchen knives and slammed the blade down on the wire of the answering machine, severing it. All of a sudden, he aimed the M16. Directly at us. Joyce started crying again.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I cried. "Wait, wait! You don't have to do this, Brett!"

"And why the hell should I not?" he asked angrily. "My life's been one nightmare after another! My grandma kept treating me like shit, I've got no friends at school, everyone picks on me, I've got no one who likes me, I've got NOTHING! I might as well have the fun I've never had before I end myself!"

I began to sweat; I needed to talk a way out of this. This doesn't have to end in a hail of bullets.

"Um, what's your definition of fun?" I asked, many thoughts bouncing through my head like ping-pong balls.

"How the hell should I know? Playing in the playground, hanging out with friends, playing games, etc., etc. I don't know! I've never had fun before!"

"Killing innocent people isn't fun."

"I don't care! People live much better lives than I do! I hate it! This is my way of having fun. Just cutting their lives short, like it's a cancer. ...It IS a cancer."

He just exposed his motives. I now know why he did this terrible thing.

"You're jealous," I said simply.

"What?" he asked.

"You're jealous of other people! You wish you had their life, but you don't know. You're stuck with a meaningless life that's filled with despair and misery. You wanna leave that life, but you feel that it hasn't been spent right. Your jealousy and your desire to have meaning in your life just interconnect and form a chaotic mixture: the desire to kill. You feel that by killing others you've spent your life, put some sort of meaning to it. Then, by the time you feel you've done enough, by the time you feel like you've lived a life of worth, then you end it."

Wow, I sounded like a professional psychiatrist. And to think, I've been considering about becoming a fashion designer with Katie.

"But you don't have to kill to give meaning to your life. All you have to do is do something nice. Do something that results in someone smiling. Do the right thing. You can do the right thing now by letting us go and surrendering peacefully-"

He pointed my dad's M16 at me. "You think you're some damn pro psychologist, huh?" he asked bitterly. He then scoffed. "Okay doctor, let's continue this session." He motioned to the stairs. "Upstairs."

* * *

_**Phineas's POV**_

We reached Sweetwater's neighborhood, where we saw officers barricading the area surrounding her house. Surrounding it from the outside were neighbors and news crews. A couple of choppers were flying overhead. I looked at the officers, all of whom looked heavily occupied with either resolving the hostage crisis or holding back the onlookers. They weren't looking at us.

I glanced at a gate belonging to one of the next-door neighbors. I then looked at the officers. They weren't looking at us. I nudged 'Jeet's shoulder.

"Come on, guys," I said. "We're climbing that gate." I pointed at it, and the others looked at me like I was crazy or something.

"Are you NUTS, Phin?" asked Joe. "We're actually going _in_ there?"

What a stupid question!

"Yes," I said, delivering him a flat look. "If that guy's gonna kill Sweetwater, then I want front-row seats!"

"There's no way I'm going near there," Eddie said.

"Me neither," added Hank.

What a bunch of cowards! But I decided to condone this behavior. If they wanna be scaredy-cats, then let them be scaredy-cats. It's their loss.

"Fine, your loss," I said as I approached the gate and climbed over it.

A voice inside my head begs me to turn back. I don't listen to it.

* * *

**Ron Goldmann:** Well, this crisis is still unfolding, and...Wait, what is that? Is that _a boy_ climbing over the fence and walking into the property?

**Anita Weston:** What does that boy think he's doing?

* * *

_**Candace's POV**_

I can recognize Phineas's triangular head anywhere, and the moment I saw it and the rest of his body just waltzing into Adyson's property, there was nothing in the world that could've held back my shocked gasp. Dad, Uncle Adrian, and Aunt Lucy couldn't hold back their gasps either.

Dad and I instantly dashed for the door, opened it, and ran up to my car. As we went inside, I saw Isabella's cousin, Anabel I believe, run up to us.

"I believe you've seen the news right now," she said, panting.

"Yes, yes we did," I replied. "And we're going there. Phineas is gonna get himself _killed_!"

"Can I come?"

"Absolutely NOT!"

And with that, I started the car engine, peeled out of the parkway, and drove as fast as I can to Goodwill Springs.

* * *

_**Adyson's POV**_

"What?" I asked, sounding a bit stupid. I honestly didn't see THAT coming.

"Upstairs," he repeated, his voice deadly. "Now."

"I will," I replied, increasingly unsure of this was the right choice, "if you let the rest of my family go."

"What?" my mom asked. "NO! Don't do this, Addie! He might kill you!"

"Go, Mom, please," I replied calmly, not taking my eyes off Brett's. "Take Joyce with you."

"Addie, no!" Joyce exclaimed. "No, Addie, don't go!"

"It's okay, Joyce." I was beginning to cry; what the hell was I _doing_? Am I signing a death contract here? But all the better to try and redeem myself. "You get out of here. I'll stay here and deal with the bad guy."

"NO!" Joyce screamed.

"You heard the lady," snarled Brett, pointing his gun at my family, "now get outta here." He nudged my dad's shoulder with his foot. "Take this dead weight with you too." My family didn't move, so finally... _**BAM BAM BAM! **_He fired the rifle at the ceiling, prompting my family to drag my dad out of the house.

"NO, ADDIE, NO!" screeched Joyce, but I kept crying after her that it was okay, as Brett directed me at gunpoint up the stairs. I heard Joyce's wails fade away, and finally, it was silence. I could hear a SWAT unit position near the front door. So did Brett.

"YOU COME INTO THIS HOUSE," he roared, "I KILL HER!"

The unit seemed to take the hint, because by the time we completed our travel up the stairs and reached my bedroom, I still couldn't hear the front door being knocked down. We both stepped into my bedroom, and I looked at it. Ben's bed was still there, exactly opposite of mine still.

Brett walked towards the window, which was currently draped, muttered something, and aimed my dad's M16 to the window. But he was in that position for only a few seconds, and then, he just lowered it. I found it strange that he didn't have the courage to open fire on officers when he was able to easily pick off other innocent people. My thoughts were cut short when he flicked his head at me, his black hair flying a bit.

"Sit," he ordered. I sat down at my bed. He sat down at Ben's. It was just like talking to Ben, all over again. We were in these same positions, one-hundred percent identical. Only, Ben didn't force me at gunpoint to talk.

"So," Brett said, "you say I'm jealous of other people?"

"Yes," I replied.

"How the hell do ya think that? How do ya know if that's just not some goddamn wild guess?"

"I just _know_ you feel these emotions. You probably do too, subconsciously. D'you know why I know?"

"How?"

"Because I had a cousin who slept on the bed you're sitting on, Brett. He was just like you. He lost faith in life when his parents died in a car accident, an accident that he thinks he started. He felt responsible for their deaths, and that overwhelmed him. He nearly went mad with guilt, so mad. I thought he was changed when my parents sent him to a mental institution for psychiatric group-therapy. But he wasn't changed. Instead, he had been taken advantage of by another patient, who coerced him to join him and his friends in a massacre I believe you've heard of many times on TV."

"You mean that Mid-Summer's Festival massacre a couple months back?" he asked. "That was _him_?"

"Yes," I replied. "It was him."

"Wow. Sure must be hard."

"Yes, yes it's hard." I swear, I can feel the emotions pouring out of my mouth as I spoke these next sentences. "It's hard every day, knowing that he did that terrible thing. My friends all hate me and ostracize me. Everyone around me hates me. Everyone blames me and my family for not spotting the warning signs too soon. My family had to relocate to this house all because of that. But apparently, that's not gonna help now, with you here and all." I paused for a moment, realizing my emotional connection with Brett. "I'm just like you."

For the first time in the minutes I've seen him, Brett's eyes softened.

"Oh. I'm...sorry."

I smiled a bit, proud that I got somewhere with him. "Yeah." I then moved closer to him. "Brett, don't follow my cousin's lead. Don't take the coward's way out. If you do, believe me, it's gonna do a lot more harm to yourself than to other people. Just turn yourself in, peacefully."

He inched his way farther from me, like I was infected with some sort of contagious disease.

"I can't," he replied bitterly. "I don't wanna go to jail. I don't wanna undertake some damn psychological exam. I don't wanna be thought of as crazy and be put under solitary confinement. I don't wanna take all of that crap."

I leaned forward and held his hand.

"But I'll be there for you."

He scoffed. "Yeah, right. Each and every time, someone says they care for me. But then, they leave me in the dust, like a worthless fifth wheel."

It was obvious he wouldn't listen to me. I didn't know what to do now. Brett was gonna do something stupid. Whether it was kill me, himself, or the both of us, I couldn't really figure out. But I knew I HAD to do something. I can't risk having another Ben.

...

I didn't know why I did what I did next. I guess my mind, scrambling to find the perfect solution to this chaotic mess, lost all rationality and became a chaotic mess on its own. I mean, it felt like I was being controlled by a supernatural force. I acted like a reflex, moving before thinking. And yet, it would take me minutes before I realized what the heck I was doing, what crazy and unexpected decision I made.

I was _kissing_ Brett Wycker.

* * *

_**Phineas's POV**_

I found the sliding back-door of the Sweetwater house broken open, most likely from a gunshot. This made it all easy to sneak inside. No one was present, and everything seemed untouched, aside from the shotgun lying on the floor, next to a pool of blood, plus the severed cord for the answering machine. As I tiptoed towards the front door, I saw an unfamiliar bag lying near it, and a SWAT unit was positioned directly outside, discussing tactics. All of their faces were fortunately diverted from the inside of the house, so I dashed past them unnoticed.

As I tiptoed upstairs, I heard _Sweetwater_ speaking. With what I can assume is her captor.

"Oh. I'm...sorry."

"Yeah. Brett, don't follow my cousin's lead. Don't take the coward's way out. If you do, believe me, it's gonna do a lot more harm to yourself than to other people. Just turn yourself in, peacefully."

"I can't. I don't wanna go to jail. I don't wanna undertake some damn psychological exam. I don't wanna be thought of as crazy and be put under solitary confinement. I don't wanna take all of that crap."

"But I'll be there for you."

I swear, I nearly _threw up_ at those words. First ignoring her cousin's warning signs, then sucking up to another killer? How lower can she GET? I was near the doorway to her bedroom, and I stopped. This was close enough to hear out Sweetwater's ultimate end._  
_

"Yeah, right. Each and every time, someone says they care for me. But then, they leave me in the dust, like a worthless fifth wheel."

Then, I heard a strange, succinct muffling. This was followed by some heavy breathing, and I heard something metallic drop. I didn't know what was going on, but it definitely didn't sound like a struggle. I decided to take a peek.

I shouldn't have. I saw Sweetwater KISSING her captor. WHAT THE HELL?

"**WHAT THE HELL?**" I shrieked, unable to contain my outrage anymore.

This broke the kiss in a split-second, and Sweetwater gasped. As for her captor, he gasped too, but his eyes also darkened and he lunged for...a large _gun_ lying on the floor. I ran forward as fast as I could and kicked him in the gut, causing him to fall onto the floor. But he had a quick recovery. Before I knew it, his fist was practically embedded in my own gut. Groaning as the pain shot up my spinal cord like electricity, I stumbled backward, giving the captor enough time to get his rifle.

"BRETT, NO!" screamed Sweetwater.

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_

Fortunately for me, I jumped out of the room and away from the gunfire just in time. I could hear a brief series of clinking noises, followed by footsteps. The familiar smell of gunpowder slowly filled my nostrils; I started flashing back to the time at the festival. Struggling to remain aware of the situation, I stood up and stumbled down the stairs, still holding my aching gut.

_**BAM BAM BAM!**_

I didn't feel any pain; this Brett guy probably shot at the ceiling to taunt me. Either way, I was startled and lost my footing, and the world was spinning for a few seconds before I landed on the lower floor, pain all over me. I looked up the stairs to see Brett stalking towards me, his rifle in his hand. Sweetwater came rushing out of the room and held his arm.

"Brett, don't!" she cried. "Please!"

"Get your hands off me!" he screamed. "You were trying to distract me while this bum here would knock me out or something! But I'm too smart for you!"

"Please, Brett," pleaded Sweetwater, but then, Brett swung the rifle forward and struck her across the face, causing her to fall over.

"SHUT UP!" yelled Brett. "YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE OF ME! NOW YOU'LL PAY!"

_**BAM!**_

This time, it wasn't a gunshot, but the front door being brought down. The same SWAT unit stormed in, their own rifles blazing.

"I've got a civilian down!" one of them cried, obviously referring to me.

"PUT THE WEAPON DOWN!" another barked at Brett. Brett stared back, an evil that bordered mania present in his eyes. He bit his lower lip gently, then looked at Sweetwater, who was looking up at him. And then, something else filled his eyes. I couldn't see what it was due to his position. He then looked at the SWAT unit, sighed, and lifted both of his arms. He was still holding the rifle. I didn't know what that strange-looking gesture was. Was he surrendering? Just then-

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_

Like a puppet whose puppeteer released its strings, Brett fell to the stairs and tumbled down, his limbs flailing loosely. The moment he landed to the lower floor, almost near me, I immediately identified the many gunshot wounds that were riddling his head, torso, and legs. Sweetwater started screaming.

...Good for her. There was even blood on her face.

* * *

**A/N:** Jeez, Phineas has become an ASS. And now, we conclude our cliffhanger with another sad death. Anyone shocked by the totally unexpected move Adyson made? I know you are. Don't worry, more details will be explained in further chapters.

I'd like to thank the following who reviewed:

_**bookwrm23 [Why, thanks for the congratulations! It is very much appreciated. **_**:D_]_**

**_MonkeyLover422 [Yes, the house is gone. I'm betting you know who's responsible. And what would be funny? I'm seriously not following ya. _O.o_]_**

**_Rosebubbles1234 [Well, here's what happens. At least the both of them live.]_**

**_Magisking122 (guest reviewer) [I'll tell you this, there'll be no scene of Norm ever doing that. Sorry. But I have another ending in mind, so stay tuned!]_**

**_Robot Wolf 26Z [Here's what's next.]_**

**_DarkEVaughn [Oh, please don't tell me you're liking this violence. Please don't. _:(_]_**

**_NattyMc [Yes, that's the guns. MOST of them, that is.]_**

**_sonicboy678 [Indeed!]_**

**_person124 [Well, you'll see if Ben likes Isabella or not...]_**

**_DizzyPirate [Thanks for the review! I loved it! I do hope this story reaches out to some emotionally disturbed individual.]_**

**_dixicorn [Well, they're okay, so...JUBILATIONS!]_**

**_shadowayn (guest reviewer) [I know video games don't make people like that, it's just Adyson being a worried cousin, which is completely understandable.]_**

**_goldwyrm12 [Yes, yes I like the new pen-name. Might take some time to get used to it, but I like it.]_**

**_WordNerb93 [Yeah, it really is sad that Ben had all these warning signs and no one took notice. Hopefully this story helps people learn that they must be more attentive. After all, you never know what's gonna happen these days...]_**

**_Proxus (guest reviewer) [Why, thanks for thinking so! I probably should! But I think I'm too young to get a job in the Disney Channel business right now. And unfortunately, once I become old enough, I think the show will unfortunately be canceled at the time. Ah, if only... And yes, I learned all of those guns from the Internet.]_**

**_Flying Liberty [Trust me, man/woman, that's MOST of the firepower. The rest is yet to come. And I guess Brett Wycker did indeed suffer, but maybe in not the way you wanted it. Either way, I hope you're satisfied with this conclusion! And no, you didn't frighten me with that remark, or anyone else, hopefully. It's quite understandable.]_**

**_humanusscriptor [Why, thanks! I'm glad you're inspired!]_**

**_The Magic Catgirl [Hm, really? I did some surfing on YouTube and found a video of a guy who was listing off all of his purchased firearms. Believe me, there was definitely MORE THAN 15 of 'em in that video! In fact, there's actually several videos of such! Maybe you're living in a state that has a limit on the amount of firearms you should own...]_**

**_Yellow Car (guest reviewer) [As you can see, I kinda incorporated your review into the story. It was a good point you made, so I decided to put it in. Let's just say that the M16 is Adyson's dad's number-one favorite that he secretly keeps in his bedroom at all times.]_**

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	23. Before: Explosives and a Game of Chess

_**Sweetwater Camera POV  
December 23, 2014  
04:44:44 P.M.  
7 months, 24 days prior to the massacre**_

_(begin videotape. Tyler and Ben are in the former's bedroom. Ben is holding the camera.)_

**Ben:** Dude, I don't see the point of recording _all_ of this. What if someone sees these tapes? I mean, this _is_ my cousin's camera...

**Tyler:** Jeez, _relax_ dude! Like I said before, over and over again, we're gonna keep these certain tapes for ourselves. My God, you can be so worrisome sometimes.

**Ben:** But I still don't see the point of this recording-

**Tyler:** This whole recording process thingy is a sort of in-your-face kind of thing for the general public. I mean, who _expects_ a couple of kids like us to have easy access to weapons, like the ones your uncle keeps in that shed of his. Who _expects_ us to be able to make explosives? Who _expects_ us to be doing all of these illegal activities under everyone's noses? We want everyone to remember us even AFTER we bring our shit down. And this is the best way to do it.

**Ben:** Okay, okay. I just...I just don't wanna get caught...

**Tyler:** My freakin' God, Ben, we WON'T get caught. As long as we keep up our cover of practicing our anger-management methods, then we're clear. Stop being worried all the time. Now, let's show the world more of our weapons.

_(cut to Tyler going to the opposite side of his bed)_

**Tyler:** Alright man, help me push this bed...

_(cut to Ben putting the camera onto a counter. Ben then helps Tyler move his bed.)_

_(cut to Ben retrieving the camera)_

**Tyler:** This is gonna be a blast, man.

_(cut to Tyler moving away a rug that was underneath his bed, then opening up several floorboards)_

_(cut to a little montage of Tyler taking out several homemade explosives and containers)_

**Tyler:** _These_ are our little babies.

**Ben:** Dude, _please_ never say that again. Now people who see this are gonna think we were secretly gay or something.

_(cut to Tyler showing two glass bottles filled with a liquid mixture)_

**Tyler:** Molotov cocktails. When they're made perfectly and precisely, they have the power to cause an efficient-enough fire.

_(cut to Tyler showing a small pipe-bomb)_

**Tyler:** This is a pipe bomb, the perfect substitution for a grenade. Anyone can easily make this stuff. We bought all of the supplies to make this from Home Depot. HA! No one knew _a thing_ about what these materials were really meant for! No one even ASKED, for Christ's sake!

**Ben:** That was actually kinda funny. I mean, teenagers buying _pipes_ and _nails_? Wouldn't that seem a bit _suspicious_? I seriously can't believe no one asked...

_(cut to the camera focusing on two large bags)_

**Tyler:** Two bags of ammonium nitrate, commonly used in regular high-nitrogen fertilizer. However, because of some chemical process that I don't give a rat's ass about, it's also used as an improvised explosive device. Set it on fire or something, and everything goes ka-blooey!

**Ben:** The bags were also VERY easy to get. We salute you, Home Depot. You've helped generations of wannabe terrorists by supplying them their weapons.

**Tyler:** _(snickering) _Yeah. We pledge allegiance to you, Home Depot!

_(cut to Tyler showing a large container of gasoline)_

**Tyler:** Gas container, right here. We plan to place this beside one of our bombs to strengthen the big bang. Either that, or we'll taunt some unlucky straddlers and douse them with it before setting 'em on fire. That'll be fun to watch...

**Ben:** _(shuddering a bit) _Yeah...that'll be a..._scene_...

_(cut to Tyler showing a large cylinder)_

**Tyler:** 9.1 kg. propane cylinder. I got this from a friend of mine who works at a company specializing in fuel and other stuff. Thanks man, for the help. I'll make sure you're credited.

_(cut to Tyler showing a small box)_

**Tyler:** Managed to nab this from that gun show from last week. A container of .44 Magnum bullets for your uncle's Desert Eagle pistols and S&W revolver. I know he has hundreds of ammunition for 'em, but like I say, more is better.

_(cut to Tyler opening up another box, revealing a revolver and some ammunition)_

**Tyler:** Got this from the gun show too. The idiot who purchased this was looking away, so I seized the opportunity. _(picks up the gun) _Colt Anaconda six-shot double-action revolver, chambered for the .45 Colt cartridge.

**Ben:** You managed to get THAT out of the gun show?

**Tyler:** The genius who hosted it probably thought it'd be a good idea to only have the metal detectors at the damn main entrance.

_(cut to a small montage of Tyler putting the supplies back under the floorboards and closing them)_

**Tyler:** The explosives you've just seen are just the first products. We plan to make more of 'em. We also plan to get more guns, enough to support a ten-to-fifteen-man army. See, we've recently decided to recruit more people to our cause. Two gunmen working together, while extremely rare, is kinda unoriginal for me. We've started asking people to join us, but so far, all of them thought we were joking. We even left out the whole killing-people thing, for obvious reasons. But still, no one thinks it's a good idea to, eh, _prank_ a location of importance.

**Ben:** Actually...I asked someone, and he told me that he'll think about it. I think he might be in; he even seems in it for the killing. He hasn't called me back yet.

**Tyler:** Oh, really? That's excellent! At least we're getting somewhere.

_(cut)_

**Ben:** By the way, how do you plan to get more guns? You're not gonna be lucky at the gun shows all the time, ya know.

**Tyler:** I believe I know a guy. Brandon has a second cousin whose girlfriend's brother has ties to this arms-dealing organization. I'm gonna contact him tomorrow, see what he's got.

_(cut to Ben placing the camera on the same counter)_

**Ben:** So...have you decided where we should hit?

**Tyler:** Nope. I definitely don't wanna hit a school; that's so unoriginal, after what happened in Louisiana. My thoughts about hitting the local movie theater have bit the dust too. I currently have three options: the church, the highway during traffic, and the Capitol Building. I'm leaning on the last one, but Mayor Doofenshmirtz'll have this army of bodyguards though...

**Ben:** I still think we should hit the Googolplex Mall.

**Tyler:** ...Nah. I want the news choppers to see us while we're at it. ...Don't tell me you're _camera-shy_.

**Ben:** It just looks like a perfect place. I don't wanna hit a place that's out in the open. Gives people more opportunities to run.

**Tyler:** But that'll bring more thrills! And besides, why do you think we need more members of our little anarchist club?

_(cut. It is silent.)_

**Tyler:** Dude, you're sweating.

**Ben:** What? Really? _(feels his face) _Oh, I am...

_(cut)_

**Tyler:** What's up, man?

**Ben:** Excuse me?

**Tyler:** You don't sweat randomly like that disgusting platypus Flynn has. Something's going on with you. What's up?

_(silence)_

**Ben:** What if...I told you-

**Tyler:** DAMN IT! You're having second thoughts about this!

**Ben:** No, no, NO! Not really!

**Tyler:** What the hell's up, then?

**Ben:** Well...well..._well_...

**Tyler:** Just spit it out and get it over with.

**Ben:** I think I have a crush on someone.

_(silence)_

**Tyler:** Good God...

**Ben:** I'm afraid that this'll make me emotional and I'll have second thoughts, like you say. And I don't wanna have second thoughts; I'm ready to carry out our plan!

**Tyler:** Okay, who the hell's this person?

**Ben:** Why?

**Tyler:** Just asking.

**Ben:** You don't plan on _killing_ her, are you?

**Tyler:** What the hell? Of course not, man! If I leave some crucial piece of physical evidence behind, then this plan's screwed over to the other side! I just need to know!

**Ben:** ...I...I..._I_...

**Tyler:** Oh, for Christ's sake, Ben! Is it that Katie chick?

**Ben:** No, _definitely_ not her.

**Tyler:** Who. The hell. _Is_ it, then?

**Ben:** I...I don't wanna tell you!

**Tyler:** Why the fuck not?

**Ben:** I'm ashamed of it.

**Tyler:** Oh, whatever. Just...drop it, man. Don't think about it. D'you see this girl every day?

**Ben:** Yep. Definitely...

**Tyler:** Then this'll be a problem. ...Just...just ignore her every day, capieche?

**Ben:** ...Capieche...

_(Ben approaches the camera and turns it off. End videotape.)_

* * *

**_05:01:34 P.M._**

_(begin videotape. Ben is recording Phineas and Baljeet playing a life-sized, alive game of chess from inside the house. Everyone else in the gang is watching.)_

**Phineas:** I move my bishop to A5.

_(the bishop figure automatically moves itself to the space)_

**Baljeet:** I move my queen to F6.

_(the queen figure automatically moves itself to the space)_

**Phineas:** I move my rook to B8.

_(the rook figure automatically moves itself to the space)_

**Phineas:** _(clapping his hands together) _Checkmate-o!

**Baljeet:** _(laughing with shock) _What?! Oh man, I did NOT see that coming!

_(cut to Phineas and Baljeet shaking hands)_

**Phineas:** Good game, man, good game.

_(Wendy walks over to Baljeet and hugs and kisses him)_

**Wendy:** You did well, 'Jeet.

**Baljeet:** Thanks, babe.

_(Ginger turns red)_

_(cut to Ben going outside to the backyard)_

**Ben:** Um, did I _miss_ anything?

**Adyson:** _(standing up) _Ben, you're back! You should've seen it! Phineas and Ferb made this life-sized game of chess that has pieces that automatically move at your command. Why don't you play, Ben? You're such a good chess player!

**Django:** Really? I never knew that.

**Ben:** I'd rather not...

_(Adyson takes his hand and takes him to the chess set)_

**Adyson:** Come on, have fun with us! You keep spending too much time with Tyler!

**Buford:** He's gay!

**Adyson:** Shut up, Buford. _(goes to the opposite side of the chess set) _Come on, I'll play against you.

**Ben:** Fine. But you do know that I've always beaten you at every game.

**Adyson:** This time it'll be different!

**Ben:** Oh, is that a _challenge_?

**Adyson:** You're darn right it is!

**Isabella:** Oh boy, something big's gonna come down!

_(cut to Ben handing over the camera to Ferb)_

**Ben:** Can you record this for me?

_(Ferb nods off-screen)_

**Ben:** Thanks, man. _(goes over to the chess set) _Prepare to be defeated, Addie. AGAIN!

**Adyson:** Bring it on! I move my first pawn to A4.

**Ben:** I move my third pawn to C6.

**Adyson:** I move my rook to A3.

**Ben:** I move my second pawn to B5.

**Adyson:** Big mistake, Ben! I take your second pawn with my first pawn! HA!

**Ben:** Nice move, Addie, but I believe that I'll TAKE YOUR FIRST PAWN WITH MY THIRD PAWN!

**Adyson:** _(gasping)_ Jeez, I forgot you HAD that strategy! Fine, then. No more Mrs. Nice Adyson. I move my rook to C3!

**Ben:** I move my queen to A5.

_(Adyson's eyes widen, then she smiles)_

**Adyson:** Are you sure about that, Ben?

**Ben:** _(smiling) _Never been any surer.

**Adyson:** Fine then. Your loss. I TAKE YOUR BISHOP WITH MY ROOK! **CHECKMATE**!

**Ben:** _What_? Why, that can't be POSSIBLE!

**Adyson:** Oh, yes it is. You didn't move any of the pawns surrounding the king, giving the piece nowhere to go. Wow, Ben. That was very..._quick_. I thought you'd do better than that. Ah, well. At least I have my first win against you! YES!

**Ben:** Well, good game, anyway.

_(cut to the gang entering the Flynn-Fletcher house)_

**Buford:** So much for Ben being a good chess player.

**Phineas:** Well, he did his best. It's the thought that counts.

**Baljeet:** It's odd, though. His strategy was lackluster. If Adyson says that he keeps beating her and is a good chess player, then it should be expected that Ben would know what kind of efficient strategies there would be. Either Adyson was just bragging for Ben's sake or the loss was _intentional_.

**Phineas:** Or Ben's pride blinded him and he lost sight of which strategy was best effective. You know, the whole hubris thing and all.

**Baljeet:** If you insist.

**Adyson:** Hey, Ferb! _(the camera turns to face her) _I'll be taking that camera back, if you don't mind. _(Ferb hands the camera over to her) _Thanks! ...Hm, battery's low. _(giggles a bit) _What in the world did Ben record all _day_?

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**_December 24, 2014  
02:19:39 A.M.  
7 months, 23 days prior to the massacre_**

_(begin videotape. Ben is staring at the camera, but doesn't say anything. He looks around, bites his lip, and then sighs heavily. He takes a deep breath, then gets ready to say something, but then, after a few seconds, he just turns off the camera. End videotape.)_

* * *

**A/N:** What in the world is going on in Ben's mind? Let's see if you can guess. Next chapter, I'll see if I can focus on Perry a bit more, for I feel I've been neglecting him ever since Chapter 18. Maybe we can see his reaction towards Phineas's ass-like behavior.

By the way, if there are any errors in the whole chess scene, I apologize. I'm not up to the rules of the game.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

_**Randomchick16**_

_**bookwrm23 [I'm glad you're glad! I just hope you're not in it for the killing.]**_

_**Proxus (guest reviewer) [What do you mean by "400 rebirthes"?]**_

_**Mimi-loves-llamas [I'd never thought I'd see the day that everyone would actually HATE Phineas. But someone's gotta do it sometime, right?]**_

_**shadowayn [I can assure you, he'll learn his lesson when he's still alive. Just not right now.]**_

_**Kitty O**_

_**sonicboy678 [Yeah, Phineas butted in at the wrong time.]**_

_**Rosebubbles1234**_

_**NattyMc**_

_**MonkeyLover422 [Okay, gotcha. HAW HAW! You've been totally misled about Phineas! ...Nah, just kidding with ya. And I'm glad you freaked out at the kissing part. I can be sadistic, can I? Just not that sadistic enough to get everyone killed off in the story, don't worry.]**_

_**Flying Liberty**_

_**Hard Coaster (guest reviewer) [I hope you don't mean the death scene...]**_

_**TheNargana [I'll spoil it to you, man/woman: there'll be a happy ending for you to read. JUBILATIONS!]**_

_**PeacesignPhsyco [Of course you didn't see it coming. What kind of hostage KISSES their captor? ...Then again, there's the whole Stockholm syndrome business...]**_

_**the empire**_

_**DizzyPirate**_

_**MsAmiClassified**_

_**Magisking122 (guest reviewer) [I never thought of it. ...Maybe...]**_

_**Guest (guest reviewer)**_

_**DarkEVaughn**_

_**Galaxina-the-Seedrian [Whoa, whoa, WHOA! EASY NOW!]**_

_**MeWantACookie [And to think, you never thought you'd see the day you'd come to hate Phineas...]**_

_**yjtytre (guest reviewer) [Indeed!]**_

_**Da Darkest Knight [Adyson's dad's not dead, I'll tell you that. He was knocked out. But I guess he lost a lot of blood. I get that explained in the next chapter.]**_

_**WordNerb93 [I've heard several times of these studies that show that people in their late teens to early twenties (I think that's what they said) are more likely to have whatever mental illness they're suffering from be at the highest peak. I believe that's what it said.]**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z**_

_**The Magic Catgirl [I feel sorry for you then, to know that you're surrounding by kids who treat real-life violence like video-games. Truly sickening. I mean, I know violence is a part of entertainment, but I believe it should be toned down a bit. Look at the influence it's putting on today's children!]**_

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	24. After: Meeting NB

**Ron Goldmann:** Looks like the nightmare's over for the Tri-State Area. The Danville Police Department has confirmed the death of 16-year-old Brett Wycker, the perpetrator of a shooting spree that spanned several cities and towns belonging in the region. Here's Commissioner Gale O'Connor in a live speech.

**Commissioner O'Connor: **_(via live feed) _We are relieved to inform you that Danville police has resolved the hostage crisis in the Goodwill Springs suburban house with the shooting death of Brett Wycker, without the loss of any of the hostages. Wycker was shot to death after he raised the weapon he was using, which was stolen from the hostages, and attempted to open fire upon SWAT agents, to which the agents fired first.

**Anita Weston:** Brett Wycker has been confirmed to have murdered fifteen people and injuring an additional 25 in six cities and towns in the Tri-State Area...

* * *

_**Adyson's POV  
September 8, 2015**_

It has been nearly an hour since the crisis ended with Brett's death, but I was still shaking immensely from what I witnessed firsthand. It was just like Isabella, Julie, and Jordan's deaths, all over again. The blood even splattered all over my face like last time. The medics have since wiped it from my face, but I can still _feel_ it there, dripping and oozing down my skin...

I threw up in a pail that they gave me several minutes ago. That marks the third time I've thrown up. I then glanced at Aunt Allison's house, now surrounded with crime-scene tape. I watched as officials carried out Brett's corpse in a stretcher. There was a drape over it, but I knew it was Brett. Who else died in that house?

Well, Joyce's innocence, for that matter. She too was shaking up a storm. This was the first time she'd been held at gunpoint, and at five years old, I'm surprised she's stopped crying. She was sitting next to me right now, so I wrapped an arm around her and we hugged. Now there was no way Joyce can be happy and carefree ever again, now that she's had a glimpse of the perils so graciously provided by the real world.

Another arm wrapped itself around us. It was my dad's. There was a bandage wrapped around his forehead; he suffered a terrible beating from Brett when he entered the house with me and Joyce at gunpoint. My mom, Aunt Allison, and cousins were also sitting with us. With Aunt Allison's house, me and my family's best means of safe haven from a media circus, now a crime scene, I didn't know where we'd go now. Both sets of my grandparents are all dead, and so are Ben's parents. Those were the only other relatives we had. ...Actually, my mom had another sister, but she was living up in Idaho with her own family, and we were somehow drawn to stay in the Tri-State Area despite the negative attention we've received.

"Addie?"

I looked at Joyce. "Yes, Joyce?"

"I love you, Addie."

I smiled weakly and hugged her again, more tightly this time. "I love you too."

I was so caught up in the moment that I didn't see the tomato that would hit my face seconds later. Pretty soon, my face was splattered with tomato flesh and juice. Gasping with horror, I became to flash back to Isabella and Brett's murders. I could feel the blood dripping down my face again...

"YOU GODDAMN **WHORE**! YOU WERE **KISSING** THAT MANIAC?" I instantly knew who the enraged speaker was, and I didn't dare to look up so I can make sure.

At those two sentences, the reporters and news crews, who had been previously milling about the house, reporting on what just happened, instantly sprang to action. Boy, were their ears sensitive or what? Anyway, the reporters managed to break through the officers and paramedics trying to shield me and my family and assaulted us with a barrage of questions that hammered away at my ears.

"You were _kissing_ Brett Wycker?"

"What compelled you to do that?"

"How'd you feel, knowing you were kissing someone who murdered fifteen people?"

"Why'd you kiss Brett Wycker?"

Then, there came the big one.

"Could it be possible you were _in love_ with Brett Wycker?"

My face paled considerably.

"THAT'S IT!" my father screeched. I never heard him shout so loud before. Sure, he can shout really loud, but the volume of that voice was twice as loud as I usually hear it. And then, I watched him charge at the nearest reporter and punch him in the face so hard I could hear something snap. The next thing I saw was a blur of blue, and then, my dad was on the ground, being handcuffed by two police officers while several cameramen recorded the scene.

Though my dad caused quite a ruckus, this didn't stop some reporters to continue their quest in acquiring answers from my brazen move to calm Brett. The questions kept coming at me, again and again. Joyce caved in under the pressure and began to cry again. I seriously felt like following my dad's lead and punching a reporter myself...

But my mom did it for me. And pretty soon, she was on the ground as well, being handcuffed. And yet, the reporters couldn't stop bothering me.

"Come on, we've gotta get out of here!" Aunt Allison exclaimed, and Joyce, my cousins, and I followed her to her SUV, with the crowd of reporters and cameramen hot on our heels.

Instinctively, I glanced at a random direction and saw Django trying to push his way through officers, but failing. I shook my head at him, signaling to him that he should stay out of it. I don't know if he got the message or not, because I lost sight of him immediately afterward.

Aunt Allison reached the SUV first, followed by the rest of us, and she tried to start the engine. Unfortunately, it wouldn't start (it had a bad habit of failing to start at the worst moments), and by that time, reporters had flooded around the car, like an army of ravenous zombies. Joyce's crying started to increase, and even one of my cousins broke down in tears.

Just then, the reporters scattered, screaming. Seconds later, another SUV drove in and stopped beside Aunt Allison's. Driving it was a middle-aged woman with red hair and wearing a straw hat.

"Get in!" she shouted, her voice having a Southern accent.

We wouldn't have trusted her if she didn't have the larger SUV. But we instantly jumped out of Aunt Allison's car and got inside the stranger's. As we buckled our seatbelts, the stranger drove away. The SUV passed my parents, who were being escorted to a police cruiser. I caught my mom's eye for one second, and I instantly recognized the approval shining from it. She was glad we were escaping. I nodded quickly at her, hoping that she might've seen it. And with that, our rescuer drove out of Goodwill Springs within a few minutes.

Once we were all clear, I said, "Hey miss, thanks for saving us from those reporters."

"No problem," she replied. Then, her next words stopped my heart for a second. "They surely are a nuisance, aren't they, Adyson?"

"How'd you know my niece's name?" asked Aunt Allison.

"I know all of your names. Now, forgive me if I sound like a stalker, which I'm not, but I believe I've been communicating with you for some time, Adyson."

It all hit me instantly.

"_N.B._?"

The woman smiled and removed her straw hat, allowing me to have a better look at her face. ...I've _seen_ her before...

"Yes, Adyson. _I'm_ N.B. The initials are for my real name, Nancy Bremington."

Nancy Bremington...Nancy Bremington...I've _heard_ that name before...Then, memories from last year came back to me.

Last year, on August 31, thirteen days after Ben was first sent to the mental health facility, a horrible tragedy occurred in New Orleans, Louisiana. A troubled teenager arrived late to his high school. He was armed with a semiautomatic rifle, a pump-action shotgun, an automatic pistol, and a hunting knife, plus dozens of smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails. When lunchtime started almost an hour later, he threw a smoke bomb in the cafeteria, then opened fire on students with the guns. The student then stalked around the school, shooting anyone he saw and throwing more smoke bombs and cocktails, eventually causing a large fire that engulfed almost half of the school and actually caused a portion of it to collapse. A total of twenty people were killed, thirteen from gunshot wounds and seven from severe smoke inhalation. 41 people were injured by gunshots, and 99 others suffered injuries from respiratory problems due to smoke inhalation.

The massacre ended with the gunman's suicide. In the hours following the event, the shooter was identified as 18-year-old Nathan Bremington.

"_You're_ Nancy Bremington?!" I asked, shocked.

Nancy nodded. "Yep, that's me," she replied.

For some reason, I didn't hear any hint of sadness and grief in her voice. She sounded so..._calm_. It was unlike the Nancy Bremington I saw on live TV; when she made a speech apologizing for her son's actions the morning after the shooting, she broke down in tears halfway in.

"Why'd you come here to save us?" Aunt Allison asked.

"Because I know how it feels like to have a loved one commit something so terrible," replied Nancy. "And now, I'm here to help you guys recover from what Ben did at the Mid-Summer's Festival." She stopped her SUV alongside a sidewalk that was leading to a hotel, most likely the one she was staying at. "I know it's hard. It was hard for me. But I eventually got over it."

"How?" I asked, my curiosity peaking.

"I wish I could tell you, but this is a matter for _all_ four families. Do you happen to know where the others live, or their phone numbers, or something?"

"We know the phone number of Tyler Garrison's family," I replied. "But that's it."

"Then let's contact them and find out if they know the numbers of the other two families. We've gotta do it secretly, though. Being related to a mass murderer means that danger is all around us in the form of ordinary civilians. We can't let anyone recognize you guys."

* * *

_**Perry's POV**_

"Thanks, Agent P," Carl said as I handed him a bowl of cereal and milk. It's been five days since the intern was fired from his job at the OWCA and had to move into the Flynn-Fletcher house because he had nowhere else to go. Fortunately, Candace has a nifty panic room that she hasn't used in years and likely will not now, so Carl has been taking shelter inside it ever since I took him in.

I nodded at him and prepared to leave the panic room when Carl asked me, "Agent P? I've been overhearing Phineas lately, and I'm wondering if you've noticed his...change in behavior."

Yep, I definitely noticed it all right. I'm very, _very_ worried about him. He's been emotionally imbalanced, even for the typical person suffering from PTSD.

I nodded at the intern, telling him that I did.

"Aren't you gonna do something about it?"

Do something about it? I don't know if I _should_. He's still going through a lot, and this might be too much pressure on him. I produced my platypus-sized notebook and wrote a message for Carl.

_"I don't know right now. I'll just have to wait if it gets really bad."_

"If you insist, Agent P," Carl replied as I closed the panic room door.

I walked up to the stairs and performed several backflips to take myself to the lower floor before turning into my pet mode, fortunately just in time, as Ferb's cousins, the male ones, came into the room. All five of them were wearing concerned looks on their faces.

"I'm worried about Phineas, lads," the blond Pelé said. "First he starts harassing the families of those shooters, next he runs off to the scene of a hostage situation just to see if someone gets killed!"

"Yeah, the American's starting to lose his mind gradually," the Beckham with the square glasses said.

My heart froze. Phineas went out to an ongoing crime scene? Okay, this was definitely getting out of hand for him. Carl was right. I NEED to do something about it.

Without knowing it, I stood up on my hind legs. Bad move.

"Hey, since when did Phineas's whatchamacallit stand up on _twos_?" asked the blond Beckham, pointing at me.

I stood there, rooted to the spot as Ferb's cousins looked at me curiously.

* * *

**A/N:** Aaannnddd...ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER! *cackles maniacally* It looks like Perry blew his secret cover to Ferb's cousins. Then again, since he resigned, I guess there technically is no problem. Is there? ;)

Sorry folks, for updating SO late! School's been bothering me endlessly, and I've become absorbed with my "Simpsons" fics. But fortunately, I've updated, so HOORAY!

I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:

_**dixicorn**_

_**bookwrm23 [Oh good, you're NOT in it for the killing. PHEW!]**_

_**shadowayn [You, my dear friend, should become some sort of philosopher, with your reviews and all!]**_

_**Proxus (guest reviewer) [Thanks for the answer! And I SHALL stay positive!]**_

_**sonicboy678**_

_**TheNargana [You'll see...]**_

_**WordNerb93 [Like I told **_**TheNargana**_**, you'll see...]**_

_**DizzyPirate [Like I told the above two, you'll see...]**_

_**Rosebubbles1234**_

_**random guy (guest reviewer) [I'll try to update "Evil Phineas", but I'm not making any promises.]**_

_**Randomchick16 [YAY, you've seen more Perry, even if it was a bit brief. But hey, at least the end was monumental! And I'll try to fit Doof somewhere, but I don't know where right now.]**_

_**the empire**_

_**DarkEVaughn [Yes, it'd be too far-fetched and, considering the story's premise, never likely to happen.]**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z**_

_**MeWantACookie [Well, I never understood the reference till now!]**_

_**Galaxina-the-Seedrian [Yeah, it's just tragic...]**_

_**gleamingyoda (guest reviewer) [Yes, he will, but not now. At the near-end, he will.]**_

_**rex (guest reviewer) [Like I said, yes, but not now.]**_

_**Hard Coaster (guest reviewer) [Thanks for the answer!]**_

_**Magisking122 (guest reviewer) [Well, I'm glad you're glad! And thanks, maybe I should! I've actually been thinking about it...]**_

_**PeacesignPhsyco [Whoa, I forgot the alive chess thing was actually from "Harry Potter"! Thanks for the alert! Man, I'm shocked at my subconsciousness...]**_

_**Da Darkest Knight [Like I said earlier, you'll see...]**_

_**Yellow Car (guest reviewer) [That's okay, take your time in reviewing. And I hope you allow me to take my time in updating.]**_

_**Goldwyrm12 (guest reviewer) [I think your new pen-name is just as great!]**_

_**guest (guest reviewer) [Thanks for your reviews! And sorry, there'll be no Carl POV. I just don't find it necessary for the story.]**_

_**emico997**_

_**Mimi-loves-llamas [Oh, you'll see...]**_

WHOA! That sure is a lot of reviews! Well, it's considerably less than the 29 reviews I've got for Ch. 22, but oh well.

Before I make my conclusion, I will make an announcement that a new poll is up. For more info, please go to my profile page. Thanks!

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	25. Before: Christmas Day

**A/N:** YES! This story reaches the 400-review mark! That's actually kinda surprising, considering the dark subject material being dealt with...

* * *

_**Sweetwater Camera POV  
December 25, 2014  
06:04:30 A.M.  
7 months, 22 days prior to the massacre**_

_(begin videotape. Adyson is recording herself in bed)_

**Adyson:** Hi, everyone! Today's December 25, 2014, and the time's 6:04 in the morning. Today's a very special day, for it's... _(looks around and squeals quietly and excitedly) _Christmas! My second-favorite day, behind the start of summer. _(squeals again) _Ooh, I can't wait to see what I got!

_(gets up and records herself going out of the bedroom)_

_(cut to her going downstairs, where the family room lights are already on)_

**Ben: **_(off-screen) _You made some more bombs? That's good, that's good. And how 'bout the guns? You got more of those? ...Oh, okay. Yeah, I can't wait either. Okay, I'll see you at the meeting place tomorrow. Okay, bye.

_(cut to Adyson entering the kitchen to record Ben)_

**Adyson:** What's this about bombs and guns, Ben?

**Ben:** YARGH! ADDIE! I never knew you were awake!

**Adyson:** It's Christmas. I couldn't wait to get up early. I'm surprised I actually woke up before Joyce did. Anyway, what's this talk about bombs and guns?

**Ben:** Bombs and guns? Oh, yeah. _(clears throat) _Tyler and I are setting up a little celebratory event for New Year's Eve. Brandon got us firework-making materials and cannons, which we plan to start putting together tomorrow for the event. Bombs and guns are just a code-name for 'em, we find it a bit more awesome. Don't worry, Addie, it's not like we're gonna go out and kill people with actual bombs and guns, is that right?

**Adyson:** Okay. And no offense, Ben, but I think Phineas and Ferb can make better-

**Ben:** I'd prefer not to see or hear about what marvelous things Phineas and Ferb invented, no offense. It's just that I thought I'd celebrate the new year with my own friends. You can celebrate the new year with _your_ friends, but I celebrate with _my_ friends.

_(cut)_

**Adyson:** Okay, whatever you say. You know, Ben, you seem to be spending a lot of time with those new friends of yours, especially Tyler.

**Ben:** Why? Is there a problem with that?

**Adyson:** No, not really. ...Actually, there kinda _is_. I know they mean well, but there's something that I don't like about 'em.

**Ben:** Is it because they dress in black colors? Just because they do doesn't mean they're Goth. I mean, I've met this Vanessa friend of Ferb's and she's no Goth.

**Adyson:** I know that, and that's not what I had in mind. It's just that they seem to have a negative influence on you. When I'm with you, you're Ben, the cousin I know. But when you're with them, you're practically like _them_. Especially Tyler. Like a Tyler number two.

**Ben:** _(laughs)_ Tyler _number two_? What makes you think _that_, Addie?

**Adyson:** Every time you're with him, you've got his personality. Which is mostly all jerk-like and stuck-up and not liking other people.

**Ben:** You worry too much, Addie. Don't worry about it! That's just their way of being cool. Just being total badasses and stuff. There's nothing wrong about it.

**Adyson:** If you say so.

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**_08:53:39 A.M._**

_(begin videotape. Adyson is recording her family)_

**Adyson:** Hey, guys! Merry Christmas!

**Randy, Kathy, Joyce, and Ben:** _(together) _Merry Christmas!

**Adyson:** Alright, let's see what Joyce got first!

_(cut to Joyce opening a present)_

**Joyce:** _(gasping) _A new Ducky Momo doll! Thanks, Mommy and Daddy!

**Kathy:** You're welcome, sweetie. Anything for our little girl.

**Adyson:** Ehem.

**Randy:** You're our little girl too, Addie.

_(Ben giggles teasingly)_

**Adyson:** _(mock-angrily) _Oh, what's so funny, Ben?

_(cut to Joyce opening another present)_

**Joyce:** YAY! A dollhouse set for my Mary McGuffin doll! Thank you so much, Addie and Ben!

**Adyson:** You're welcome, Joyce! _(nudges Ben's elbow) _See? Spending half your allowance _was_ worth it!

**Ben:** Don't remind me...

_(cut to Adyson giving the camera to Randy before opening a present)_

**Adyson:** The new iPad! Oh, thanks Mom and Dad!**  
**

**Kathy:** Be sure to-

**Adyson:** -Use it responsibly, I know, I know. No need to tell me that every single time, Mom.

_(cut to Adyson opening another present)_

**Adyson:** _(gasping) _Awwwww, a plate with a drawing of me and you, Joyce! That's so nice and thoughtful of you! Thanks!

**Joyce:** _(blushing, moving her foot sheepishly)_ You're welcome, Addie... _(looks at the camera)_ Daddy, can I record it?

**Randy:** Sure you can, sweetie!

_(cut to Randy handing the camera to Joyce. She unknowingly starts recording with the camera upside-down.)_

**Adyson:** Joyce, you're holding the camera upside-down.

**Joyce:** Ohhh...

_(Joyce turns the camera downside-up)_

**Joyce:** Downside-up we go! _(giggles)__  
_

_(cut)_

**Adyson:** So Ben, d'you have a present for me?

**Ben:** Just this.

_(He hugs her tightly)_

**Adyson:** Whoa, what was that for, Ben?

**Ben:** Thanks for helping me when no one else did.

**Kathy:** Hey, we helped too. You've got all of us to thank for that!

**Ben:** Yeah. _(smiles) _You know, I couldn't have asked for any better relatives. That's why I didn't ask for anything for Christmas. I've got everything right here. _(looks at Adyson and smiles again)_

**Adyson:** That's so touching, Ben. And you're welcome. You see, I _knew_ you were gonna get better! You said it wouldn't be possible a long time ago, but here you are now, treasuring life to the fullest.

**Ben:** Yeah. To the fullest.

_(cut)_

**Joyce:** Hey, what does this button do?

**Adyson:** Joyce, be care-

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**_10:21:38 A.M._**

_(begin videotape with a montage of Adyson and Ben enjoying another one of Phineas and Ferb's inventions, a large snowman with a long and complex snow-slide emerging from its mouth and spiraling around it)_

_(cut to Ben sitting beside Phineas near the door)_

**Ben:** You know, Phineas, I used to think you and your brother were lame. But now that I come to think of it, you guys can construct such awesome and unimaginable things. Tell me, how in the world do your parents approve of this?

**Phineas:** No matter how many times we try to tell them about what we do, they don't believe us, and the invention mysteriously vanishes.

**Candace:** _(off-screen)_ It's the Mysterious Force, I tell ya!

**Ben:** Odd. Have you ever tried to make sure one of these _doesn't_ disappear.

**Phineas:** We tried that once. A tracking device that was installed on an invention we built for fake purposes. Quite conveniently, it disappeared first before the rest of the invention. Some Turning-Metal-Into-Cheese-Laser-Inator laser or something. At least we enjoyed a week's worth of free cheese!

_(cut to Ben recording Adyson as she completed the slide ride for the umpteenth time and ran back to the snowman. Ben sighs, then taking a sharp intake of breath.)_

_(cut to Phineas standing up)_

**Phineas:** Well, gotta go enjoy the Christmas Snowman Slide. Gonna keep recording?_  
_

**Ben:** Adyson wants me to not waste a second of it, so yeah.

**Phineas:** Cool! You're a great guy, Ben, a great guy. Don't let _anything_ bring you down._  
_

**Isabella:** Phineas, come on! Slide with me!

**Phineas:** Coming! _(runs off)_

**Ben:** _(sighing sadly) _Thanks, Phineas...

_(cut to Phineas completing the slide with Isabella and Irving)_

**Isabella:** _(to herself) _God, why the hell did Phineas ask Irving to join us when I specifically said we should slide together as a _pair_? Jeez, can't he take a darn HINT?

_(Adyson completes the slide and runs up to Ben)_

**Adyson:** Come on, Ben! Let's slide down together again!

**Ben:** How about later? My backside's kinda sore...

**Adyson:** _(smiling) _Okay! Come to me when you change your mind! _(runs back to the snowman)_

_(Ben sighs happily. He then growls angrily when Django partners up with Adyson)_

**Ferb:** _(approaching Ben) _You okay, lad?

**Ben:** What? Oh, yeah! Never been better in my entire life!

_(Ferb looks from him to Adyson, then back to him)_

**Ferb:** You like Adyson, do you?

**Ben:** _(shocked)_ What?! NO! MY GOD, NO! She's my COUSIN, for crying out loud!

**Ferb:** You can't fool me, not with your blushing.

**Ben:** I'm blushing 'cause it's goddamn cold!

**Ferb:** If that is so, then I know the look you have when you look at Adyson. It's exactly the same look Isabella has when she ogles Phineas.

**Ben:** I'm not ogling my own cousin! I'm ogling...uh, uh, Katie!

**Ferb:** Okay then. _(looks at Katie) _Hey, Katie!

**Ben:** DAMN IT! ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, IT'S..._true_. I'm...in _love_...with my own _cousin_... _(gulps) _God, I can't believe I'm feeling those feelings. I KNOW it's disgusting and taboo, but...but...it's complicated...

_(Ferb sits down next to him)_

**Ferb:** I know why. She was the only one there for you in a time of need. Your uncle and aunt were so busy with their work, Joyce had no idea what was going on and therefore isn't of much help, and the only other living relative you know is Adyson. Adyson, she knew what was going on with you. She understood you and your feelings. She was there when no one else was. And being a teenager without a girlfriend as of yet, your hormones sorta take a drastic turn for the worst...

**Ben:** _(sarcastically)_ Wow. Never knew you had it in you to talk this much.

**Ferb:** I speak when the moment suits me. What my point is, Ben, is that it's completely natural to think of something banned in nature-

**Ben:** No, incest is NOT natural! What the hell do ya think you're saying, Ferb? What, are _you_ in love with your stepsister?

**Ferb:** Two things. One: I am not. Two: if I were, it would be perfectly legal, because the both of us aren't blood-related. You, on the other hand, are in love with a relative by blood. Love is a really complex and interesting thing. I would know because I've had an experience like yours. Not EXACTLY like yours, but just hear me out. When I was ten, I fell in love with a girl who was six years older than me. I believe you've met her.

**Ben:** Yes, Vanessa Doofenshmirtz. But that doesn't help solve my problem. I'm madly in love with my own cousin! She's the only girl who bothers to talk to me!

**Ferb:** Katie likes to talk to you. _She _likes you-

**Ben:** She's just not my type. Adyson, on the other hand, is. She's everything I wanted my first girlfriend to be. There's one setback, though. She's my goddamn cousin!

**Ferb:** Which brings us back to my argument about Vanessa. As I grew older, I eventually got over it, knowing that she'd never be mine because she already has a boyfriend and is older than me. She's just a good friend now. I have no more romantic feelings towards her. You've just gotta recognize the setbacks of a romantic relationship with Adyson, and just let go.

**Ben:** Let go? _Let go_? I can't let go, not that easily! I never- I mean, it took me _months_ to get over my parents' deaths. How long will it take me to get over Adyson?

**Ferb:** Just let it take its own time. You'll eventually find that your crush is just a simple crush, nothing more, and just let go of it.

**Ben:** _(sighs) _If you say so, Ferb. Hey, don't tell _anyone_ about what I told you, alright? Don't. Tell. _Anyone_. ESPECIALLY not Adyson!

**Ferb:** My lips are sealed. As usual. _(leaves for the snowman)_

_(cut)_

**Ben:** CRAP! I recorded that entire conversation! Oh, hopefully I have time to edit it all out before Adyson decides to check her videos...

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**_11:49:34 P.M._**

_(begin videotape. The camera is mounted on a tripod, recording Ben as he takes Randy's firearms to a lonely hill.)_

_(cut to a montage of Ben firing his weapons at a tree)_

_(cut to Ben approaching the camera after several minutes)_

**Ben:** Goddamn it, it's SO hard to let go...

* * *

**A/N:** And we now know the last mystery of Ben's mind. Quite a shocker, isn't it? ...I doubt it. It was kinda hinted at in the last couple chapters.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (sorry, I cannot respond to your reviews due to a tight schedule):

_**bookwrm23**_

_**Shadow5550**_

_**Galaxina-the-Seedrian**_

_**DizzyPirate**_

_**sonicboy678**_

_**random guy (guest reviewer)**_

_**Proxus (guest reviewer)**_

_**Rosebubbles1234**_

_**MonkeyLover422**_

_**The Magic Catgirl**_

_**NattyMc**_

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_**humanusscriptor**_

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_**MeWantACookie**_

_**Magisking122 (guest reviewer)**_

_**Mimi-loves-llamas**_

_**shadowayn**_

_**emico997**_

_**CMR Rosa**_

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	26. After: Into the Storm

**A/N:** Before I start this chapter, I would like to respond to a review PeacesignPhsyco made for Ch. 24, which I wasn't able to do previously. Anyway, man/woman, when you said you never heard of the school shooting mentioned in that chapter in the news, that is because it never really happened. It's fictional, purely made up and just from the story. No, you're not in trouble. I just thought I'd mention it to you.

And now that's out of the way, let's begin the newest chapter, which (kinda) concludes the cliffhanger left by Ch. 24! ENJOY!

**WARNING:** Things will get a bit disturbing, including a scene of attempted suicide...

* * *

**Anita Weston:** This just in, police have just announced the arrest of 15-year-old Phineas Flynn, who has been attacking the families of the four Mid-Summer's Festival mass killers for almost three months now.

* * *

_**Phineas's POV  
September 8, 2015**_

It was extremely uncomfortable on the chair I was sitting on. But that wasn't what concerned me. My primary concern was what I saw in Sweetwater's house. The..._bitch_ kissing HIM! Brett Wycker, the one responsible for claiming fifteen more innocent lives from this world of ours! If she fell head-over-heels in love with the sicko, then what does that mean about her relationship with Ben?

I heard the door to the office swing open, and in came Lawrence and Candace, followed closely by a man wearing a formal gray suit. I narrowed my eyes at Lawrence, and with very good reason. He tries to act like my father, but he's not my father. My real dad died a long time ago. And now, he's nothing more than a substitute, a replacement, an _actor_. I didn't drop the look as Lawrence and Candace sat down on a nearby, comfortable-looking couch.

"Phineas?" the suit-wearing man said. I recognized him as Danville Chief of Police Pete Palmers.

"What?" I bitterly asked.

"This is the tenth time you've gone after those families." He didn't mention which families I was going after, but that really didn't matter. I knew who I was attacking. I'm extremely glad Palmers didn't mention the names. One mentioning of them, even a goddamn hint, would've sent me over the other side.

He continued, "You know, I'm really shocked at you. Before all of this madness, you were such a good kid. No record at all. I remember the time when I was quite the hot-shot rookie. You and your brother invented a nifty criminal-tracking device for me. It helped me make my rise to this very position, even if it suddenly disappeared without warning. _You_ helped me achieve my success, and I never got the chance to thank you. ...It looks like this isn't the chance. No, quite the contrary. I'm here, you're here, on the other side of the desk, being told off by me."

Palmers sighed and rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand. I took this time to roll my eyes angrily. He wasn't getting the point at all! Why in the world am _I_ getting punished again? Those families deserve punishment! But have they gotten any? HELL, NO! Only Sweetwater's parents have been arrested for assaulting reporters, and yet, no measly charges have been filed and they were let go. And as for me, I'm left to toil with it all.

The anger rising, I couldn't take it anymore and exploded.

"Why are YOU punishing me?!" I demanded furiously. "THEY deserve it, not me!"

"For what, Phineas?" replied Palmers. "Tell me, for what?"

"For being goddamn negligent!"

"_The ways of parenting_ is no crime, Phineas. But trespassing is, and that's what the Danville Police Department is claiming. You've been accused of trespassing."

I couldn't believe it. "WHAT?!" I screamed.

"Believe me, Phineas, it wasn't my call. It was Commissioner's O'Connor's-"

"HA! They're just making those accusations because I got in the way of that SWAT team's strategy plan! Believe me, _Chief Palmers_, if it hadn't been for me, Brett Wycker would've brought down some of your own before your boys put a bullet in his goddamn ugly head! You should be THANKING me!"

"I will not do that. Instead, I will tell you this. Commissioner O'Connor and I have reached a suitable deal. You will avoid all of the charges being filed against you if you go to a mental-health facility."

"Mental-health facility?" I repeated. "_Mental-health facility_? WHAT IN THE HELL **FOR**?"

"Well, your father has informed me of the results of that report made by your psychiatrist for the past few weeks. And it's very disturbing. He's judged you to be a threat to the families you're continuously going after, and possibly even to those around you. This is the best decision we've reached for you. I'm very sorry, Phineas, but this isn't up to you. You will have to stay there at all times for three months. And if you make any attempt to escape, there will be a tracking bracelet strapped around you. We'll eventually find you."

"GODDAMN IT, WHY ARE PUNISHING **ME**?" I screeched. I was attracting the attention of the police officers working outside. "YOU SHOULD BE PUNISHING THE FAMILIES! IT'S BECAUSE OF THEIR NEGLIGENCE THAT SOME OF YOUR BOYS ARE EITHER DEAD OR CLINGING ONTO THE LAST STRANDS OF LIFE IN THE HOSPITAL!"

"Trust me, Phineas," Palmers replied, "if you were in my position, you'd do the same thing."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. They were taking it out on ME! Everyone was against me! I sweat, I could feel my entire mind collapse all around me and being taken over by another force. Before I knew it, I burst out in the foulest speech I've ever made.

"FUCK YOU ALL!" I screeched, pointing at each and every one of them. "FUCK YOU ALL TO FUCKING HELL! YOU CALL YOURSELF THE CHIEF OF POLICE, PALMERS? YOU'RE NOTHING MORE THAN A FAILURE! AND YOU, CANDACE! I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT YOU WERE THE MOST ANNOYING BITCH TO BE BORN! AND AS FOR YOU, _LAWRENCE_, YOU CALL MYSELF MY FATHER? YOU'RE JUST A **JOKE**. EVERYONE'S A GODDAMN JOKE! A FOUL, CRAPPY JOKE! THE FOULEST, CRAPPIEST JOKE IN EXISTENCE! AND- OOF!"

The world blacked out all around me.

* * *

_**Candace's POV**_

I instantly burst into tears as Phineas's body fell to the floor, being knocked out by Commissioner Gale O'Connor. I couldn't believe my brother had gone mad like that, let alone call me an unforgivable word. I looked at Dad, and he too burst into tears. Though he's already cried before in front of me, it was still an uncomfortable sight. We hugged and watched tearfully as several cops hoisted Phineas's unconscious form and carried it away.

This was the worst moment of my life. This was the hour that I lost my brother.

* * *

The ride home was quiet. The storm that had been plaguing Danville for months now was at one of its strongest points, with rain pouring down and thunder rumbling. It was quite the perfect mood for a city still reeling from a great loss.

I had to drive Dad home even though he said he'd drive. I didn't want him to. I had a visceral feeling that he would suddenly break down while on the road and accidentally get either of us killed. But I was worried about myself as well. Phineas had just insulted me, calling me one of the foulest terms mankind's known, in the midst of a haunting mental breakdown. And now, all we had to do was watch as the cops took him to the mental-health facility. Hopefully it does wonders to him, unlike the previous situation with Ben.

I parked the sedan alongside the sidewalk adjacent to the house and then got out, taking out my umbrella to shield myself from the pouring rain. As I prepared to walk up to the front door, I didn't hear Dad get out. I looked back and saw that he was just sitting there, practically frozen inside the car.

I opened his door and asked, "Dad? Are you okay?"

He didn't respond. Instead, he just stared straight ahead, his eyes blank, his skin ominously pale.

"Dad?"

He finally spoke, in nothing more than a pained, forceful croak, "You go in without me."

"But Dad-"

"Just go in without me." His voice was more stern this time, and a bit louder. I believed he needed space; after all, Phineas had just insulted him. So, I nodded with understanding and walked up to the front door without him.

As I neared the front door, I could hear Dad burst into tears, in the midst of the falling rain and the rumble of thunder. I felt tears emerge in the corners of my eyes again, but with strength, I held them back. I remembered Mom always advising me to be my own woman, during the weeks preceding my high-school graduation. I cracked a smile at the memory of my mom, just as I heard Dad suddenly grunt painfully. Instinctively, I turned back to look at him.

The moment I saw him, I forgot all about my umbrella, and the strong downpour.

I screamed the loudest scream I ever made in my entire life and ran up to Dad as he fell out of the car, the pen sticking out of his neck like a straw. Coming up to him, I instantly dragged him out of the car and laid him onto the grass as he started gagging, his blood flowing out of his neck and blending in with the rainwater as it dripped rather graphically on the green blades of grass. I screamed again, not sure of what to do with the pen.

"Candace?" I heard my Aunt Lucy ask. "What's wr-" There was a short pause, followed by a loud scream. "ADRIAN! OH MY GOD, ADRIAN, GET OUT HERE!"

"What is it, hon-" Uncle Adrian asked worriedly, and then I heard him gasp. Under a minute later, Uncle Adrian and Aunt Lucy ran up to us.

"Oh my God, Lawrence!" Uncle Adrian screamed. "Oh my God!" He grabbed the pen and slowly pulled it out of Dad's neck. That only made the bleeding MUCH worse. I instantly threw up, unfortunately all over Aunt Lucy.

"LUCY!" cried Uncle Adrian. "CALL 911! I'LL APPLY PRESSURE TO THE WOUND!"

Aunt Lucy was about to stand up and take out her cell phone when all of a sudden, I heard an oddly familiar chatter. Looking up, I saw a blur of teal run out of the house and come up to Dad.

I knew that platypus anywhere.

"Perry?" I asked.

The two-legged Perry didn't respond and took out a tiny device from underneath his fur. Pointing it at Dad's neck wound, he fired a laser at it as the rest of us watched with shock. Before our very eyes, the wound healed within a minute. Dad opened his eyes and gasped loudly, taking in a large gulp of air.

"What?" he cried. "No, no, no, NO! NO, DON'T HELP ME! I WANNA DIE, I WANNA **DIE**!"

He reached for the pen that was still in Uncle Adrian's hand, but he instantly threw it at another direction.

"No, Lawrence!" he chided. "There's only one way for you to die!"

Lawrence instantly burst into tears and hugged Uncle Adrian, while I looked at Perry with shock. He smiled back at me.

* * *

_**No POV**_

Commissioner Gale O'Connor wasn't the type of man with a steady patience. Being police commissioner was a strenuous job, full of complex schedules and constant daily efforts to combat crime, which has been on the rise in the wake of the Mid-Summer's Festival massacre. But he knew that this..._meeting_ with the city coroner was very important, no matter what kind of schedule he had, for he said in his phone call that he had made a shocking discovery. O'Connor could still laugh at the fact that the man never knew he was talking to the commissioner himself.

But this was no laughing matter. One mentioning of his secret would jeopardize _everything_.

Approaching the coroner's office, O'Connor opened the door and stepped inside, instantly finding the man he had been interested to meet, whose back was on him.

"Oh Steve, thank goodness you've come!" the coroner exclaimed, not knowing who he was truly talking to. "You'll never believe what I found about the bullets that killed six of the victims-" The man turned around and gasped upon seeing O'Connor. "Commissioner O'Connor!"

"Hello, Mr.-" O'Connor looked at the coroner's name-tag. "-Lucky. I see this is your..._lucky day_..."

"No, no, no!" Mr. Lucky cried. "No, wait please! I-I-I won't tell _anybody_ of what I've found-"

The commissioner instantly whipped out a silenced pistol and fired four shots. He watched as the coroner stumbled back onto a wall, then slowly slid down, trailing blood and gagging painfully. O'Connor stepped up to him, aimed his gun, and, with a triumphant smirk, said, "I know you won't."

And with that, he fired a fifth shot. Lucky fell to the ground, blood dripping from a gunshot wound in his forehead. O'Connor then prepared to leave when he noticed a certain paper on Lucky's desk. Picking it up, he read it thoroughly.

"Dr. Steve Zabrowski, 359-3745. Chief Pete Palmers, 547-4658. Ron Goldmann, 690-4868. Randy Sweetwater, 248-7931."

O'Connor frowned and left the office, putting the sheet of paper in his pocket...

* * *

**Anita Weston:** This just in, the body of city corner Walter Lucky has been found in his office. Dr. Lucky was assigned to examine the bodies of the 41 people killed in the Mid-Summer's Festival massacre, including the four perpetrators. Police have confirmed that this wasn't an instance of robbery. ...Huh? What was that? ...Oh. ...Oh... Alright, this just in, we have breaking news that Danville News' own Ron Goldmann has disappeared. Workers have found his office trashed and traces of blood. We'll give you further details on this developing story.

* * *

**A/N:** Phineas has just gone insane, Lawrence attempted suicide, Perry reveals his identity to Candace, and the commissioner is hiding something. What the hell do you think is going on here? And just so you know, this isn't the end of the cliffhanger just yet. There's a third part, and maybe if the idea keeps progressing, there might also be a fourth part as well.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

_**dixicorn [Why, thanks!]**_

_**Out with a Whoosh and a Thunk [Well, it's a good thing the baby's not physically defected.]**_

_**Proxus (guest reviewer) [Thanks for believing I can actually reach 500 reviews! If I do, then I might be the first one in this community to do so! As far as I know, though.]**_

_**shadowayn [Five years apart, eh? Sorry, but why are you mentioning this?]**_

_**TheNargana [It will, soon.]**_

_**emico997 (guest reviewer) [Yeah, if only...]**_

_**bookwrm23 [Thank you very much!]**_

_**Galaxina-the-Seedrian [Indeed!]**_

_**DizzyPirate [It's okay if you ask. And yes, the answer of yours shall be eventually answered.]**_

_**Hard Coaster (guest reviewer) [Indeed, a shocker! Especially since it's incest that's being dealt with.]**_

_**sonicboy678 [That's an interesting example you just put in your review!]**_

_**MonkeyLover422 [Yes, Joyce is SO CUTE! And yes, you spelled 'miserable' wrong. **_**XD_]_**

**_DarkEVaughn [Thanks!]_**

**_random guy (guest reviewer) [I shall keep writing!]_**

**_Rosebubbles1234 [Well, you'll see about that soon...]_**

**_Yellow Car (guest reviewer) [Indeed, keep believing! And Ferb knows a lot of things. He looks like the smart type.]_**

**_The Magic Catgirl [Thanks for the compliments! I like it!]_**

**_Magisking122 (guest reviewer) [It looks like he truly has gone off the deep end now. And ironically, he's placed in a mental-health facility!]_**

**_Shadow5550 [I'm sorry, why was the chapter odd?]_**

**_Goldwyrm12 (guest reviewer) [Yes, yes he is.]_**

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	27. Before: New Year's Eve

**A/N:** GAH! I'm so, so, so, so, SO SORRY for not updating in, like, forever! School's been a big burden on me and I was also sick with acute bronchitis for a week. But I now feel better and I'm taking advantage of this leisure time to update this story. ENJOY! If you can...

* * *

_**Sweetwater Camera POV  
December 31, 2014  
12:03:49 P.M.  
7 months, 16 days prior to the massacre**_

_(begin videotape. Tyler is recording himself, Ben, Brandon, and their friends traveling to an empty field. It is nighttime, but the group is using flashlights.)_

**Ben:** Ty, I'm not sure about recording this right now...

**Tyler:** Come on, Ben, where's your daring sense of adventure?

**Ben:** My cousin's gonna see the video-

**Brandon:** What's wrong with that? I mean, you asked your parents for permission to go on this shooting trip, is that right?

**Ben:** Yeah...

_(cut to the group approaching three men)_

**Brandon:** Guys, these are the dudes I've mentioned to you. Andrew, Gabriel, Jamie, meet my friends.

**Andrew:** _(shaking Tyler's hand) _Nice to meet you, man.

**Tyler:** Nice to meet you too.

**Andrew:** So, we've got the field all prepped out with the targets and we brought our own guns. You brought yours?

**Tyler:** Yep. They're all locked, loaded, and ready to fire away.

**Gabriel:** Okay guys, let's get this crap started.

_(cut to a short montage of Ben, Brandon, and their friends taking out Randy's guns and setting them down to the ground)_

**Ben:** You guys can't imagine how...nervous I am...

**Brandon:** What's wrong? I thought you've shot these guns before on hunting trips?

**Ben:** Yeah, it's just that...I always get this anxious feeling that precedes me using a gun on someone-something! Something! I meant something, not someone. Of course that would be murder if I used a gun on some_one_-

**Tyler:** _(whispering) _Ben, just shut up...

_(cut to Andrew, Gabriel, and Jamie walking over to the gang, carrying their own guns, which are military-grade)_

**Tyler:** HOLY! You guys own _these_ guns?

**Andrew:** Yep. Magnificent babies, ain't they?

**Tyler:** Aren't they even _legal_ to own?

**Gabriel:** For Jamie they are. He's got ties to someone who has ties to the military, which enables him to own these kinds of babies.

**Jamie:** My great-uncle used to be with the military.

**Ben:** So is my uncle.

**Jamie:** Awesome! Too bad, though; he doesn't seem to have a high-enough rank to access to military-grade weapons of his own. These guns are good, but not _great_...

**Ben:** _(angered)_ What'd you say?

**Tyler:** Ummmmm...

_(cut to the group approaching a row of poles hanging numerous assorted items)_

**Gabriel:** These are the targets, all ready to be wholly annihilated!

**Tyler:** I can't wait...

_(cut)_

**Andrew:** Alright, we'll use Jamie's guns first.

_(cut to him retrieving a large pistol)_

**Andrew:** AutoMag pistol, .44 Magnum. 7-round box magazine. _(aims the pistol at a pole and fires a few shots. A stuffed doll is instantly shredded into pieces)_

**Tyler:** Whoa. That's a powerful pistol.

_(cut to a short montage of Ben, Tyler, Brandon, and the others using the pistol)_

_(cut to Gabriel retrieving a machine pistol)_

**Boy #1:** Holy mama! That gun's just fancy!

**Jamie:** Glad you like it. It's a Micro Uzi made by people working for my great-uncle, using a 30-round box magazine.

_(cut to a short montage of the group using the Micro Uzi)_

_(cut to Jamie retrieving an odd-looking gun)_

**Jamie:** Belgian FN P90 selective-fire submachine gun, 50-round box magazine. Don't think of it as some sort of sci-fi product or something...

_(cut to a short montage of the group using the FN P90)_

_(cut to Andrew putting away the FN P90 and retrieving a large shotgun with a drum magazine)_

**Andrew:** Auto Assault-12 selective-fire combat shotgun with a 32-round drum magazine.

_(cut to a short montage of the group using the AA-12)_

**Ben:** This is one powerful weapon.

**Tyler:** _(rubbing his shoulder) _Indeed. And it's _perfect_ for what we need...

_(cut to Jamie retrieving a number of shotgun shells)_

**Jamie:** Frag-12 explosive shells, which are perfectly compatible with the AA-12.

_(cut to Jamie putting the shells into the AA-12 magazine)_

_(cut to a short montage of the group using the AA-12)_

**Tyler:** Awesome! I love these shells! I never even knew they existed. It's indeed _perfect_...

_(cut to Gabriel putting the AA-12 away)_

**Gabriel:** And now, for the big baby of 'em all... _(takes out a machine gun)_

**Ben, Tyler, Brandon, and the boys:** WHOA!

**Jamie:** That's right, guys! The M249 Squad Automatic Weapon light machine gun, with a 200-round M27 linked belt and also capable of fitting box magazines of any capacity. Just like at her. She's my favorite out of them all.

**Tyler:** Mine too...

_(cut to a short montage of the group using the M249 SAW)_

_(cut to Ben dropping the M249 after firing off a couple of rounds)_

**Ben:** AAARRRGGGHHH! DAMN IT! _(holds his shoulder)_

**Andrew:** You okay, man?

**Ben:** Damn, that gun really hurt my shoulder. Goddamn recoil...

**Tyler:** Alright, I guess you're gonna have to sit this one out, Ben.

**Ben:** What a relief...

_(cut to Andrew putting away the M249)_

**Andrew:** Okay, let's test your weapons, guys.

_(cut to a montage of the group, sans Ben, using Randy's weapons)_

_(cut to Brandon putting away the AK-47, then approaching Ben)_

**Brandon:** You alright, man? That must've really hurt...

**Ben:** Yep, it hurts a lot.

**Brandon:** Well, we're done here. We'll take you home now.

**Ben:** Thanks. You know, you really should join in on that little, eh, _prank_ me and Tyler have set up.

**Brandon:** Thanks man, but I have better things to do than to add another offense to my record. Seriously, I do.

**Ben:** Your loss.

**Gabriel:** _(arriving with Andrew)_ What prank?

**Ben:** Tyler and I have made a little scheme to, uh, _prank_ a location of Danville, set off fake bombs, fire off the guns, the like. Everything's there, including a getaway route. No one has to get hurt, and no one will know we did it. We're trying to recruit more people, but so far, things have been zip for us.

_(Andrew and Gabriel look at each other, then at Ben)_

**Andrew:** What _kind_ of prank do you have planned?...

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**_January 1, 2015  
Irving Camera POV  
12:01:56 A.M.  
7 months, 15 days prior to the massacre_**

_(begin videotape. Irving is recording Phineas, Ferb, and the rest of the gang celebrating)_

**Irving:** Today's January 1, 2015, the day announcing the end of one year, and the beginning of another. My New Year's resolution: continue to follow and record whatever my heroes Phineas and Ferb do every day.

**Buford:** That's such a lame and very creepy resolution, man.

**Irving:** Hey, do not call my love for Phineas and Ferb lame and creepy, Buford!

**Adyson:** Hi, Irving. How's it going? Aside from stalking Phineas and Ferb?

**Irving:** For the last time, I'm NOT stalking Phineas and Ferb! If they know about it and don't mind about it, then it does not qualify!

**Buford:** Oh, it qualifies all right!

_(Irving growls briefly)_

**Irving:** By the way, Adyson, where's your camera? I thought you'd be recording this party too?

**Adyson:** I was gonna, but Ben needed to use my camera to record his and his friends' shenanigans, whatever they are. I don't mind anyway. He needs his freedom and space. Lately he's been feeling..._awkward_ lately. Especially around me. He always blushes in my presence and tries to keep his distance.

_(the camera captures Ferb looking over his shoulder cautiously)_

**Irving:** Eh, it's probably nothing.

**Adyson:** Yeah, most likely nothing.

_(Ferb sighs with relief and resumes his activities)_

**Django:** Hey Addie, come and join the fun! Phineas and Ferb are unveiling the newest invention!

**Irving:** Ooh, ooh, ooh! I can't wait!

_(runs forward and doesn't notice Buford when he intentionally sticks his foot out, tripping Irving. End videotape.)_

* * *

**_Sweetwater Camera POV  
09:30:18 A.M._**

_(begin videotape. Ben is recording himself in his and Adyson's bedroom.)_

**Ben:** Alright, it appears that my motivation to commit my little..._project_ with Tyler has become compromised. My goddamn feelings about my own cousin is wracking my guilt, and every day that passes feels more enjoyable than the last. Every time I'm with..._her_...I feel much more better about myself. But I'm still angry at the world for all of its flaws, all of its wrongdoings.

And besides, I'm most ticked at the whole rule about incest and how taboo it is. I mean, what the hell's wrong with liking, even loving your own cousin, or even your own sibling, for that matter? Or your parent or any other relative? It's just a stupid crush, like any other, and it's nothing to be all concerned about! I've come to accept these feelings and enjoy them, no matter how sick they seem. Adyson makes me feel better about myself and I've got a good reason to like her! And sometimes, I think she _likes_ me back. I hope that happens. Hell, I hope for lots of things, but what I hope the most is Adyson's love. Not love as a cousin, but...something _more_...

_(sighs dreamily)_

_(cut to Ben's eyes widening)_

Wait, what the hell am I talking about? I'm supposed to be motivated to kill people with Tyler and whatever people we recruit! Goddamn it, what the hell am I talking about?

_(looks at the camera and hurriedly shuts it off. End videotape.)_

* * *

**A/N:** And we meet Andrew and Gabriel, and learn more about Ben's feelings. Now, in the next After chapter, you'll see more about the lessons Nancy Bremington is giving to the four families of the shooters.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (without answering reviews again, sorry):

_**bookwrm23**_

_**dixicorn**_

_**CMR Rosa**_

_**MonkeyLover422**_

_**Guest reviewer**_

_**humanusscriptor**_

_**shadowayn**_

_**DizzyPirate**_

_**Galaxina-the-Seedrian**_

_**MeWantACookie**_

_**sonicboy678**_

_**AuthorD**_

_**Rosebubbles1234**_

_**Yellow Car (guest reviewer)**_

_**random guy (guest reviewer)**_

_**Randomchick16**_

_**Disneydude94**_

_**TheNargana**_

_**Mimi-loves-llamas**_

_**The Magic Catgirl**_

_**emico997**_

_**Flying Liberty**_

_**Da Darkest Knight**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z**_

_**Proxus (guest reviewer)**_

_**Magisking122 (guest reviewer)**_

_**person124**_

_**the empire**_

_**Comment person**_

We wish the best of those who were affected by Hurricane Sandy! Let the victims be in our thoughts and prayers, everyone!

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	28. After: Answers

**A/N: YES! AFTER SO LONG, I FINALLY GET BACK TO UPDATING THIS STORY! YYYEEESSS! HUZZAH! HUZZAH! HHHHHUUUUUZZZZZAAAAAHHHHH!**

...

o_o

Let's get going with the story, shall we?...

...

...

...

Curtain, CURTAIN!

* * *

**Anita Weston:** Good morning, Danville. Our leading story: the body of Danville News' own Ron Goldmann, who was reported missing since yesterday, has been discovered in an alleyway beside the Doofenshmirtz Abandoned Self-Storage building. Officers confirmed that he was brutally beaten and shot to death. When asked about the reason behind Ron's untimely death, Commissioner Gale O'Connor responded with a terse, succinct:

**Commissioner O'Connor: **_(via feed) _Botched robbery.

**Anita Weston:** Ron leaves behind a wife and two children, as well as a legacy within the Danville News. Goodbye, Ron. We will miss you... _(sniffles)_ Um, further details will be revealed shortly. _(sniffles)_ Excuse me for a sec-

**Cameraman: **_(off-screen) _No, Anita!

_(Anita leaves anyway)_

* * *

**_Phineas's POV  
September 9, 2015_**

It is complete crap here in the mental health facility the police threw me into. The therapists they offer just drone on and on about how precious life is and how every second counts. HA! Obviously they've never been caught up in a mass shooting before. _They've_ never been exposed to the true horrors in life! How unsafe you can be every day, the fact that Death is ready to strike at any moment...the truth that no matter how optimistic you look at things, hiding behind them is a dark side that's laughing at you, deriding you for failing to recognize it...and pretty soon, that dark side's gonna lash out at you and make you see things in another light, the light of reality. Like it did with me.

But no! Those therapists weren't at the festival! THEY'VE never been shot at before! THEY'VE never had their lives seriously endangered! I almost pity them. As soon as they become oblivious to the downsides of life by viewing everything optimistically, then they'll be vulnerable to those downsides. And they'll be hit hard.

...I was foolish for being an optimist. I was SO foolish! I should've known something extremely terrible could happen in a joyful place like Danville. But I didn't. I was caught up in their gushy principles of happiness! And THAT left me vulnerable. And it cost me the lives of my mom and Isabella. And pretty soon, Ferb's...

Well, back to my original statement. It's complete crap in the facility. The only good thing is that I get to socialize with the other patients here. They've all been affected by the festival massacre. We're responsible for each other's safety and well-being, as the staff here are mostly neglectful and obviously bored with their jobs. It makes me wonder if their irresponsibility could be a factor for Ben still harboring those suicidal and homicidal thoughts of his...

"Phineas?" The call of one of the nurses caught my attention.

"What?" I asked bitterly. I was sitting on my bed, almost finished with writing my first journal entry that is supposed to be explain how I'm progressing in the facility.

"You've got a visitor."

"Tell them that I'm not interested to see them today, tomorrow, or ever."

"Come on, Phineas, you've gotta have some contact with someone you know."

Someone I _know_? I barely know _anyone_ anymore. Lawrence and Candace are both extremely heartbroken over Mom's death. Baljeet's still moping over Wendy's death. Buford's suddenly started acting a bit _nicer_. Django's siding with Sweetwater, the accident-prone slimeball. Irving's become a recluse, no longer leaving his house for anything, even for me. Gretchen, Ginger, Katie, Holly, and Milly are all no longer talking to one another. Who the hell do I STILL know?

"Fine," I mumbled furiously, standing up from my bed, striding out of my room, down a hallway, and into the waiting room. There, I saw someone I would never expect.

It was Anabel, Isabella's cousin. Before I was sent here, I've seen her a lot lately at Ms. Garcia-Shapiro's house. It really makes me wonder if she's got school to go to back at her home. I mean, it's in the middle of a school day, and she's here.

"What're _you_ doing here?" I asked.

"I'm here to see you," she replied modestly. "Your family's now crying over you, I've seen it all. They're heartbroken over what you did. Your dad-"

"He's not my dad," I interrupted tersely. "Lawrence isn't my dad. My real dad died years ago. He's just a goddamn _replacement_, and he knows that!"

"That's a very harsh thing to say, Phineas."

"You're damn right it's a harsh thing to say, but it's also the truth! In times of need like this, people would wanna know the truth about everything! Everything I say and do is the goddamn truth, but people refuse to freakin' accept it!"

Anabel stood up and tried to approach me, but I stepped backward with each step she took, so she abandoned this plan and continued speaking.

"Your actions may be the truth," she said, "but they're also foolish. You know, I think the four families should be held at least partially liable for what those guys did. It was their responsibility to find the warning signs, and they failed to do so. But just because they didn't catch the signs doesn't mean they should be at the receiving end of the bullet, Phineas. They were taught the ultimate lesson in responsibility, and that's all that counts for them. In no way will this ever happen to them again."

"But it's because of their neglect that 37 people are dead!" I shouted. The nurses nearby prepared to step into the room to restrain me, but Anabel motioned to them that it was okay. "It's THEIR fault that your cousin is dead!"

"I know that, Phineas. It's because of them that I'll never get to see Isabella again. When we were children, we used to do everything together. We were the best of friends. Even when she moved here, that didn't stop our friendship. We wrote letters to one another every week of every year. Even if she was miles away, I could still hear her talking to me, all thanks to a piece of paper and some ink. And I know that with her death, those letters will stop. But even if she's now a lifetime away, I know that I can still talk to her. Through my memories of her, and all the good times we shared."

I scoffed, almost to the point of laughing. "What good will memories do for anyone? As long as we hold onto the good stuff, then we'll always come to remember the bad stuff. The scars will always remain as long as we have to hold on. But then, if we just let go, then the meaning behind remembering Isabella will be nullified. What will be the point in remembering Isabella if we let go? So, we just forget. But we don't wanna forget, because Isabella was such a factor in our lives!

"Picture this, there's a rat trapped in a closet, and the only source of food there is is a piece of cheese, but it's the lure for a rattrap. The rat wants to eat the cheese, but if it gets the cheese, then the trap kills it. But if the rat knows the cheese is a lure for the trap, then it goes away. But it'll get hungry eventually, and the rat can't go anywhere because it's in a closet and there's no means of exit, so it'll come back to the cheese and get killed by the trap anyway.

"It's the exact same situation with memories! If we hold onto the good memories, then the bad memories will affect our mind! But if we let go, then we'll forget Isabella, and that's something we don't want to happen! It's just torture, having to remember! And yet, you seem to view it as a good thing!"

"You're so pessimistic, Phineas," Anabel said. "You're not the Phineas Isabella told me about in her letters. She said that you were a good person, and that being a good person made you..._you_. But you're not a good person. Maybe I got the wrong Phineas..."

"Trying to play games, huh?" I spat. But Anabel ignored me and left the waiting room, where I noticed that her parents and Ms. Garcia-Shapiro were waiting. She shook her head at them, and the four then left, downcast. I watched them go, then collapsed onto a nearby sofa, musing on Anabel's words.

_"You're not the Phineas Isabella told me about in her letters. She said that you were a good person, and that being a good person made you..._you_."_

The last sentence suddenly brought a memory to my mind.

_"You're a good person, Phineas, and that's what makes you you. Don't let anything change that!"_

It was Isabella who said that sentence...

I suddenly ran back to my room and into the bathroom, where there was a badly-kept, grimy mirror. I looked into it and saw myself..._as I am_. Spiky red hair, wilder than usual and way too long. Wide, bloodshot blue eyes, one of them twitching. A hospital gown instead of proper clothes (the staff made all of the patients wear them). But the worst thing was the way my face looked. It looked as if I was possessed by the Devil. I looked completely out of my mind.

...I looked just like Ben...

_"You're a good person, Phineas, and that's what makes you you. Don't let anything change that!"_

I collapsed to the floor and began sobbing. I'm no longer a good person. I'm now just like Ben, completely devoid of any love and hope, constituted of hate and anger. That was all I am now.

"Oh Isabella, I'm so sorry!" I sobbed. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry I let you down! ...I'm so sorry..."

* * *

_**Adyson's POV**_

Tyler, Andrew, and Gabriel's parents were all seated in a circle of chairs that belonged to Nancy's hotel. I myself was sitting in one, while my parents and Aunt Allison watched closely and my cousins played with Joyce. As for Nancy, she standing in the middle of the center. It reminded me exactly of a group-therapy session.

"Now, I know this is gonna be hard," Nancy said, "but I want you all to explain the lives of your children, or, in Adyson's case, your cousin, during their childhood."

Tyler's father started first. "As a child, Tyler was so well-behaved. He did everything we said and he never raised his voice when he didn't like something. He was fascinated with dinosaurs and wanted to become a paleontologist when he grew up. He was also eager and ready to try new things, and he took everything positively. Every time he lost in something, he didn't mind the least. He once said that as long as he had fun, then that was the only thing he could win."

Andrew's mother went next. "I always had a feeling that Andrew would be special the moment he first came to school. He was part of a school program for gifted children and maintained a straight-A grade average. He loved playing the guitar for the entire family, and during dinner, he'd sometimes remind us to say our prayers if we forgot, for that was a tradition of ours. To say our prayers before eating dinner."

Then there was Gabriel's mom. "Despite all of the shortcomings he had, Gabriel was always a great son. Whenever he spoke, he was honest and never lied, and he was very nice to everyone. He once helped a girl find a doll that she lost. I had always believed that despite his selective mutism, he'd be able to help others. After all, they say that actions speak louder than words..."

She sniffled, and suddenly, she started crying, to which her husband and Mr. Radeson helped her sit down.

Nancy approached her and asked, "You okay, Stefania?"

Stefania sniffled, then nodded. Nancy nodded, said "Hang in there", and looked at me.

"Your turn, Adyson," she said.

I nodded and began. "Well, when we were younger, Ben and I used to play with each other. We played everything together. We were the best of friends as much as we were cousins. In fact, he was more of a brother than a cousin to me, and he felt the same way. And when he lost his parents and came to live with me and my family, I sensed that despite his bitter and angry attitude towards the world, he still had that good, fun-loving soul buried inside him, somewhere. And I always like to think that when he was...doing what he did, a part of his mind felt that it was the wrong thing to do. I know it sounds stupid, but it comforts me to think so."

"That was good, Adyson," replied Nancy. "That was very good, everyone. Now, when I lost Nathan, I completely avoid my recent memories of him, when he was irritable and antisocial, and settle on the better memories of his childhood. Nathan always loved baseball and he had this dream that he stuck to for years, of becoming a star player when he grew up. That always brings comfort to me when I think of it. Just let go of all the bad stuff and remember everything good about Ben, Tyler, Andrew, and Gabriel."

"How can we do that?" Mr. Vladimirescu asked. "My son did such a terrible thing! How easy can it be to just ignore such a horrid action?!"

"Believe me, it was hard for me as well. But I think that if you just hold onto the good stuff long enough, you'll find that the bad stuff is nothing more than just a surreal, transparent event that really never happened."

"I doubt it," Mr. Radeson replied bitterly.

"Listen Gerald, the entire Tri-State Area now regards you and your wife as public enemies. This here is the first step to a process of self-recovery. I speak from experience: when my son killed his classmates and teachers, the entire town was practically bent on kicking me out. But my therapist helped me through these tough times. I too refused to believe that this process would work on me, but once I indulged myself into it all, I found that there was no need to be in shock of what Nathan did. It's hard, I know, but with the right push, you can let go of what happened. All of you."

"Alright," Mr. Garrison said, "where's your therapist? Call her in, and we'll hear what she has to say about this process."

"She's dead, Henry. Tuberculosis."

"Then I really don't see the point in learning this process. Look Nancy, we appreciate the help you're giving us. But I can't see the possibility of treating the past events like they were nothing. How could it be nothing if 37 lives were lost as a result? I think the simpler way is to leave town, change our names, and start anew. That's what me and my wife are gonna do."

"So are we," replied Mrs. Vladimirescu.

"Us too," added Mr. Radeson.

"You can't do that!" I cried, standing up from my chair. "If you do that, then they've won!" I didn't really need to say who's won, for everyone knew exactly what I was talking about. "The four of them always intended to have everyone clutched in a grip of terror and sadness. If you guys prove to the public that you're unaffected by the blame they're putting on you, then everyone will fail to see a logical reason to their actions and quit! And then, everything will go back to normal-"

"Back to normal?" Mr. Radeson repeated. "Back to _normal_? Young lady, there's no such thing as normal! Not anymore! How do you expect everything to turn back to normal? Believe me, the word 'normal' lost its meaning here the moment our sons, and your cousin, first pulled the trigger of their guns. Feel free to hear out this process Nancy's got, but _we're_ taking the logical choice and skipping town."

Before I could protest any further, the three sets of parents had already left the hotel. Flabbergasted, I collapsed onto my chair, just as Nancy approached me.

"I suppose you think they're right, Adyson," she said.

"Actually..._no_," I replied. "They're wrong. They're wrong in what they say. They're just so shocked that they failed their job as parents that they refuse to see the way out of this mess. But I wanna get of this mess the right way. For Ben, for Tyler, for Andrew, for Gabriel, for those 37 innocent lives, for Danville, for everyone! I'm not gonna give up on this! Keep it coming, Nancy. What's the next step in this process of yours?"

Nancy smiled proudly, and continued.

* * *

_**Candace's POV**_

I can't believe that I'm the last Flynn standing, and to think that Mom always thought I had lost my mind. Phineas is locked up in a mental health facility, Mom is long dead, Ferb is in a coma that he still hasn't gotten out of, and now Dad is locked in a glass tube. It was all Perry's idea, to keep him safe from his suicidal thoughts, and the tube was courtesy of Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz.

Speaking of which, it still shocks me to think that Perry is a secret agent. Or _was_ a secret agent. Even though I now remember the day of the 2nd Dimension, all thanks to Doofenshmirtz's Remember-Inator, I still find the idea of my pet platypus leading another life to be implausible.

"I've always known one of my traps would be useful," Doofenshmirtz said as he looked at Dad. "Well, Perry the Platypus, your owner's now locked up, all nice and steady, and I doubt the possibility of any escape. You know where the hatch is when you need to give him food and water." He then looked at his watch. "Well, I gotta go now. Vanessa's car broke down and I need to pick her up. You take care, Perry the Platypus, and call me if you need anything else!"

Doofenshmirtz quickly walked out of the house and closed the door behind him. I then looked at Perry, my arms crossed.

"Explain yourself," I said.

_"What do you mean, Candace?" _Perry asked, his chatters being translated into English with the help of a device Doofenshmirtz installed on his collar.

"If you're a secret agent," I replied, "then why the hell didn't you intervene during that festival shooting? Less lives would've been lost, much less, and my family wouldn't be broken up like this! I thought your duty was to protect us?!"

"He wanted to," Carl said (oh, didn't I mention that that intern was hiding out in _my own panic room_?), "but Major Monogram wouldn't let him. He thought it was some sort of nasty ruse by Doofenshmirtz and the other villains. It's because of that neglect by him that Perry resigned from his job as agent and the OWCA is dangerously close to being shut down by the government."

I turned to Perry, who said, _"There's no bigger regret of mine than not paying closer attention to you and your brothers, Candace. I should've known that something might happen to them and you while I ran off to fight Doof. For as long as I can remember, you've always been the perfect owners, and I never repaid you for your kindness. And now, I've paid the ultimate price. Your mom's dead, Ferb's in a coma, Phineas is locked up, and your dad's in a cage like an animal. I've been a bad pet..."_

My eyes softened at Perry's sincere statement, and I replied, "Look Perry, don't blame yourself. I'm sorry I blamed you for not intervening. You know, Perry, you've always repaid our kindness. You know how?"

_"How?"_

"For being a good pet. Even though you always acted dumber than a brick, I can't imagine a life without your chattering, your tendency to hop into my bed, your mysterious disappearances, and your completely unexpected influence on Phineas and Ferb's lives. I couldn't have asked for any better pet in the world than a platypus like you."

Perry smiled proudly. _"Thanks, Candace."_

"You're welcome, Perry. And don't blame yourself for not stepping in. You couldn't have done anything to stop those four wackos, no matter what awesome moves and gadgets you've got. And it's all part of learning from your mistakes."

_"I guess."_

I smiled, and then a thought crossed my mind. "Perry?" I asked.

_"Yes, Candace?"_

"Why do you keep sleeping on my bed, anyway?"

_"You've always viewed me as a disgusting pest, and it was my best way of getting your love. When you're asleep, it's your most peaceful state, so I take advantage of it and sleep beside you. That way, I can feel that I'm getting your love. You know, I love you as much as I love Phineas and Ferb."_

My smile grew wider and I hugged Perry. "Aw, that's so _sweet_, Perry."

_"Does this mean I get to sleep on your bed whenever you stop by?"_

"No," I joked.

* * *

_**Buford's POV**_

The church was empty, except for a few straddlers that stayed behind to privately say their prayers. I quickly found whom I assumed was the big priest, and I wheeled up to him in my lame wheelchair. I desperately needed answers for my near-death experience, and I felt that he had all of them.

"Excuse me, man?" I asked. "Are you the priest here?"

"Yes, my son," the man replied. He was surprisingly young for a priest; whenever I usually see his type, they look like old geezers or something. "That is me. What is it that you desire from my knowledge?"

"Um, I survived the Mid-Summer's Festival ma-" I began.

"Ah, yes," interrupted the priest suddenly. "There's no need to say anymore, son. You're not the first one to come to me like this. My son, surviving a very traumatic experience like what happened at the festival is one of the roughest processes anyone has to go through, but if you pray to God, you'll find recovering relatively easy. I have a friend who nearly got shot, but through God's help, he was able to dodge that bullet and escape without injury. There he is, praying to God and thanking him for his services."

He pointed to a man who was sitting on the second bench, silent in prayer, and then he faced me again. "My son, you survived because God felt that it wasn't your time to rejoin him in Heaven. Just like my friend survived."

"Thanks for filling me in on that," I replied, "but I have something else to say."

"By all means, go on ahead, my son."

"When I was at that festival, I wasn't in a wheelchair. I had two good legs. Then, I got shot so many times. And I seriously don't know what happened to me at this point. I think...I think I was at this crossroads between Heaven and the real world."

The priest didn't seem shocked by this, or even interested. His emotions didn't change one bit. Instead, he said, "Go on."

"Well, a voice spoke to me, saying that it wasn't my time. And he got me to confess my realization that my life is worth living. And then, I went back to the real world, with the use of my legs completely gone. And now I'm in this wheelchair."

"What are you trying to say, son? You can tell me the truth."

I looked around nervously, hoping no one would listen. I've never poured out my feelings before, especially to someone I'd usually disregard and call 'lame'.

"Well," I replied, "I'm wondering why my life is worth living if I'm gonna have to spend the rest of it in this wheelchair?"

The priest put a finger to his chin, actually looking puzzled by my question. I was actually afraid that he might not have the answer to that. But then, he snapped his fingers, his eyes brightening up like light-bulbs.

"It's a good question, my son. Let me ask you this. What have you done in your life before you were paralyzed?"

"Bullying nerds and dorks, driving my ride recklessly down streets, flunking school, being a total ass to everyone, the like."

For some reason, my answer didn't upset the priest, quite surprisingly. "Well then, I believe you are paralyzed because there's a bigger reason behind your life. One that doesn't need ambulatory movement."

"What could possibly need wheelchair-bound guys like me?" I asked.

"I'm not sure, my son. What I'm trying to say is that paralysis is God's way of saying that your life is meant to be more than just that of a sinner. You're destined to do good in your life, even if it means being paralyzed. That's my answer. If you wish to seek more clarity on that answer, ask God. He has his ways of answering."

"Yeah, I guess I will," I replied. "Thanks, uh..."

"Father Bailey," the priest replied. "Call me Father Bailey."

"Yeah. Thanks, Father Bailey."

"You're welcome, my son. Just know this: even good things can come out of the most unlikely things. Like paralysis. And dare I say this, but...maybe even a massacre."

I wheeled away, waving at Father Bailey before exiting the church, his words still hanging over my mind like a cloud. And I don't mean it literally; after all, there were still clouds, pouring rain on me as I whip out my umbrella. So I'm destined to do good in life even if I'm paralyzed? How the hell can I do that?

"Mommy!" a girl's voice cried. "I can't find Cuddles anywhere!"

I glared at an SUV, where a little girl was tugging at her mother's pant leg.

"You did?" the mom asked. "Did you leave him in the church?"

"No! I put him down on the ground, and the next thing I know, he's gone! Please find him, Mommy! We can't leave him in the storm!"

Just then, I instantly noticed a teddy bear lying underneath the SUV, so I wheeled on over to the two.

"Excuse me, young ma'am?" I asked, catching the girl's attention. "Cuddles is under the car."

"Really?" The girl leaned down and instantly gasped happily. "He is! He is! He is! YAY, CUDDLES!" She retrieved the teddy bear from under the car and hugged it with intense happiness. "Thank you so much, guy on wheelchair!"

"My pleasure, little girl," I replied, nodding at the mother before wheeling off to my ride, a lame beat-up sedan designed for my specifications.

I couldn't help but feel a little proud of myself, and a little more enlightened on the meaning of Father Bailey's words.

* * *

_**No POV**_

It was yet another rainy night in the high-end suburbs of Danville. Inside Chief Pete Palmers's house, Commissioner Gale O'Connor watched as the Chief of Police parked his car alongside the sidewalk. He turned to the police officers that were backing him up and nodded at them as a signal. One of them nodded back.

The group of officers waited until Palmers unlocked the front door and opened it, to which the officers ambushed him.

"AGH!" Palmers screamed. "What the hell is this!"

O'Connor turned on the lights, illuminating the entire group.

"Hello, Palmers," he said.

Palmers's eyes widened as he sputtered, "C-C-Commissioner! W-What is the meaning of this!"

"I'll give you two words: Walter Lucky."

Palmers's eyes became wider with fear. "H-How'd you k-know?"

"I'll just say that the coroner had better watch what kind of numbers he's dialing when he calls someone." Chuckling, the commissioner turned his back on the chief. "Now, onto the true purpose of this. How much do you know about our officers' actions during the Mid-Summer's Festival massacre?"

"Enough to send you and the others to jail, you arrogant bastard," spat Palmers boldly, his expression of fear turning into one of anger. An officer responded by brutally pistol-whipping him.

"Lieutenant York, do not do that," O'Connor said. "Palmers has enough problems already, with his soaked suit and hair and the fact that his wife just left him."

"Sorry, Commissioner," the officer replied.

"How could you do this, Commissioner?" Palmers asked. "Covering things up like this and leaving the Sweetwater family at the receiving end of the bullets being fired at them by the public?"

"The Danville Police Department has a spotless record, Palmers, and I cannot afford to have it tarnished. Even if it means removing the loose ends. It's nothing personal, Palmers. You were my best Chief of Police during my 25 years of service as Commissioner. But that's the problem, Palmers. Being the best means you've gotta be devoted. You've gotta be honest and sincere. And that's what you are. It's a real shame, but I cannot bet all of my chips on you keeping your mouth shut. So, I hereby suspend you from duty."

An officer pointed his silenced pistol at Palmers's head, just as Palmers snarled, "You're not getting away with this."

O'Connor smirked.

"Well, there's no harm in trying, now would there?"

The officer pulled the trigger, and Palmers's body fell to the ground.

* * *

**Anita Weston:** This just in, Commissioner Gale O'Connor made an announcement that Chief Pete Palmers, who had been Chief of the Danville Police Department for three years, is stepping down from his duty.

**Commissioner O'Connor:** _(live feed) _Chief Palmers himself cannot make his resignation speech for reasons he doesn't want disclosed, but he does say that he is proud of serving this city and supporting it through this time of need. But he says that he is stepping down because he is going through some tough times with his recent divorce and that he doesn't want the pressure to distract him from his duty.

**Anita Weston:** When asked about who will replace Palmers as Chief of Police, O'Connor gave this unexpected response.

**Commissioner O'Connor: **_(live feed) _Me.

**Anita Weston:** This obviously marks the first time the Chief of Police and the Police Commissioner positions were occupied by the same man, as well as the first time a man was Chief of Police twice. For those who shall be curious, O'Connor isn't hindered from making this decision, as there have been no laws in Danville that prevent anyone from occupying both of these positions simultaneously. And this just in, Chief/Commissioner O'Connor made another announcement.

**Commissioner O'Connor:** _(live feed) _And as the first person to be both Chief of Police and Police Commissioner, I hereby pass arrest warrants for city mortician Dr. Steve Zabrowski and the guardians of Mid-Summer's Festival shooter Ben Sweetwater, Randy and Kathy Sweetwater. We have uncovered new evidence that the three attempted to tamper with evidence to make it appear that Ben Sweetwater didn't kill his individual victims and was instead a victim. They are also suspected for the murder of another city mortician, Walter Lucky. Anyone who sees any of them should report to the police at once. That is all.

* * *

_**No POV**_

In Seattle, Washington, a gray-haired man sitting in his hotel room gasped upon seeing O'Connor's announcement, then turned off the TV. Standing up, he packed his belongings and left the room.

"Why that manipulative son of a bitch..." he mumbled.

* * *

**A/N:** Obviously there's some sort of conspiracy going on within the police department. Can you guess what's up with that? And as for Buford and the church scene, I will tell any readers who are non-Christians that they should not be offended by it, should they be. The scene may be promoting Christianity, as I am a Christian myself, but I tolerate other religions as well and I had their opinions in mind as I wrote this.

Well, the school trimester's ended for me, which leaves me with Thanksgiving break and lots of opportunities to continue my stories! JUBILATIONS! :D

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

_**MonkeyLover422 [Yes, yes he does. **_**XD_]_**

**_dixicorn [Well, I'm feeling better now! I just have a runny nose, but otherwise, I'm fine.]_**

**_random guy (guest reviewer) [Indeed.]_**

**_shadowayn_**

**_Robot Wolf 26Z [Does it now? _:)_]_**

**_Flying Liberty [Ah, really? That's interesting.]_**

**_Guest reviewer [Good for you! And thanks for liking my choice of "taboo".]_**

**_MeWantACookie [I find the BenxAdyson thing cute too, even if it is incest. And I hope you recover from the hardships Hurricane Sandy threw at you!]_**

**_NattyMc [Hopefully you passed that test!]_**

**_AuthorD [I look up Wikipedia for the gun info.]_**

**_person124_**

**_Some guy (guest reviewer) [I've listened to the song, and I like it! I'll see if I can incorporate it anywhere! _:)_]_**

**_Proxus (guest reviewer)_**

**_sonicboy678 [Yes, a little Good Samaritan work is what is needed to help people in the storm's way.]_**

**_emico997 [I'm glad your opinion of him changed! That's what I intended for it to be.]_**

**_Galaxina-the-Seedrian_**

**_The Magic Catgirl [Thanks for understanding the wait.]_**

**_Rosebubbles1234_**

**_mystery girl234 [Ferb will wake up from the coma, but not soon, I'll tell you that. But he will, I promise!]_**

**_Magisking122 (guest reviewer) [I'll explain further why Ben was given a machine gun. And good input on the whole gun ownership thing. I think the best solution to these mass shootings is strict background checks. Those guys were deemed mentally ill, and yet, they got away with owning some big guns.]_**

**_Yellow Car (guest reviewer) [Well, it's probably just me.]_**

This might be the story's longest chapter yet! And it took my two days to complete! I'm so proud of myself!

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	29. Before: Ben Asks Adyson Out, Part 1

**A/N:** Hey, everyone! Hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving! ENJOY!

* * *

**_Radeson Camera POV  
January 16, 2015  
11:39:38 A.M.  
7 months prior to the massacre_**

_(begin videotape. Andrew is holding the camera in a room.)_

**Tyler:** Finally, a camera we can use without attracting any attention!

**Gabriel:** Neat, isn't it? And it's high-quality too.

_(Andrew sets the camera down on a tripod facing Ben, Tyler, and Gabriel. Cut to Andrew joining them.)_

**Andrew:** Alright then. L-

**Gabriel:** Hold on a sec, I need to go take a leak.

**Tyler:** _Seriously_, Gabriel? And at a time like _this_?

_(cut to Gabriel leaving)_

_(cut to Ben, Andrew, and Tyler sitting at the table, silent)_

**Andrew:** Sooooo...ever heard of the movie 'Elephant', anyone?

**Tyler:** Yeah, that was an awesome movie. One of the best ever made, if not _the best_.

**Ben:** ...It looked kinda dumb...

_(cut to Gabriel returning)_

**Andrew:** _(lightly punching Gabriel's shoulder) _About time, genius...

_(cut)_

**Andrew:** Hello, all of ya goddamn suckers watching this. This is Andrew Radeson-

**Gabriel:** -Gabriel Vladimirescu-

**Tyler:** -Tyler Garrison-

_(Ben is silent, spacing out and distant)_

_(cut)_

**Tyler:** Ben? Ben! Ben, you're up!

**Ben:** Huh? What? What're we doing again?

**Andrew:** Damn it, you ruined the video, man!

**Gabriel:** Good going, dude. _Real_ slick.

**Ben:** Sorry...

_(cut)_

**Andrew:** Hello, all of ya goddamn suckers watching this. This is Andrew Radeson-

**Gabriel:** -Gabriel Vladimirescu-

**Tyler:** -Tyler Garrison-

**Ben:** -and Benjamin Sweetwater speaking.

**All four:** And we are the FORCE OF FOUR! HAIL VICTORY! _(making Nazi salutes)_

**Gabriel:** And who, might you ask, _is_ the Force of Four? Well, retard, the Force of Four is a four-man army that lives to fight its one great adversary-

**Tyler: **-the Tri-State Area.

_(the four shudder)_

**Andrew:** The Tri-State Area is our arch-nemesis, a haven for happy-go-lucky crap-heads who're full of themselves with optimism and joyfulness that _sickens_ us all! We freakin' LAUGH at their dim-witted selves!

**Ben:** And we'll... _(clears throat) _we'll be laughing harder when...when... _(shakes head)_ Dude, this is not working for me. This is kinda ridiculous-

**Andrew:** DAMN IT, SWEETWATER, YOU RUINED THE VIDEO **AGAIN**!

**Tyler:** Dude, what the hell's wrong with you? You seem really hesitant today.

**Ben:** Didn't get much sleep last night.

**Andrew:** What a load of crap. _(approaches Ben and grabs the collar of his shirt) _Listen here, Sweetwater, you don't seem to understand our little operation. Our goal is to make the Tri-State Area burn. That's as simple as that. Capieche?

**Ben:** ...Capieche...

**Andrew:** Good boy. Now, back from the top, ladies...

_(cut)_

**Andrew:**

Hello, all of ya goddamn suckers watching this. This is Andrew Radeson-

**Gabriel:** -Gabriel Vladimirescu-

**Tyler:** -Tyler Garrison-

**Ben:** -and Benjamin Sweetwater speaking.

**All four:** And we are the FORCE OF FOUR! HAIL VICTORY! _(making Nazi salutes)_

**Gabriel:** And who, might you ask, _is_ the Force of Four? Well, retard, the Force of Four is a four-man army that lives to fight its one great adversary-

**Tyler: **-the Tri-State Area.

_(the four shudder)_

**Andrew:** The Tri-State Area is our arch-nemesis, a haven for happy-go-lucky crap-heads who're full of themselves with optimism and joyfulness that _sickens_ us all! We freakin' LAUGH at their dim-witted selves!

**Ben:** And we'll be laughing harder when we watch you burn in our fires, fires that'll never stop, instead continuing to burn and burn and BURN!

**Andrew:** The Force of Four plans to ensure that by attacking the one celebration the Tri-State Area values the most: the Mid-Summer's Festival, on July 16, 2015.

**Tyler:** But of course, that's a long ways to go. So, we intend to do some _planning_, some _meticulous_ planning, in order to pull off the perfect assault, so then we won't be forgotten.

**Gabriel:** And that is what we'll do. Plan. And all the while, we'll record the entire countdown from today to seven months from now. People had better start valuing lives during that time, 'cause on July 16, their fates will be left in our hands. Just like God...

**Ben:** And once everything's done, our names will be etched in history forever. We will be associated with fear, pain, and loss.

**Andrew:** And then, all you've gotta do is say, "So much for the optimistic Tri-State Area." HA!

**Tyler:** You cannot stop us. We're fate's agents, assigned specifically for the duty of carrying this out. No, you cannot stop FATE from its natural course.

**Gabriel:** What IS there you can do to stop us? Stop fate? NOTHING!

**Andrew:** That is how powerful we are. Nothing can stop the Force of Four. NOTHING!

**All four: NOTHING!**

_(cut)_

**Gabriel:** That's it, we're done. That was great, guys. Excellent improvement, Ben.

**Ben:** ...Thanks...

**Andrew:** Alright, let's call it a day, guys. Tyler, Ben, drop by here next week. By that time, Gabriel and I will have our body armor completed. It'll be awesome.

**Tyler:** Alright, same place, next week. Gotcha.

_(Gabriel approaches the camera. End videotape.)_

* * *

**_Sweetwater Camera POV  
03:30:34 P.M._**

_(begin videotape. Adyson is recording Ben in the kitchen.)_

**Adyson:** Hi, Ben!

**Ben:** Hey.

**Adyson:** Okay, what's wrong, Ben?

**Ben:** Why?

**Adyson:** You don't communicate with me much anymore. What's up?

**Ben:** Nothing. I just don't feel like talking, that's all.

**Adyson:** Really? Well, I need some more dialogue from you. I expect an equal amount of dialogue from everyone I record, and I'd rather not have you stand out.

**Ben:** Okay. Well, hey Adyson. How's life?

**Adyson:** It's fun, as usual. Phineas and Ferb built a highway across the Atlantic Ocean to Paris. Isabella really went crazy about that.

**Ben:** She still has a crush on Phineas, huh?

**Adyson:** Yeah. And unfortunately, Phineas is still playing as Mr. Oblivious.

**Ben:** Tell me about it. I have to deal with... _(pauses)_

**Adyson:** Who? Deal with who?

**Ben:** ...Nothing. I forgot what I was gonna say.

**Adyson:** Um, okay...

_(cut to Adyson leaving the kitchen)_

**Ben:** Hey, Addie!

**Adyson:** Yeah?

**Ben:** You said something about Katie hosting a party on Valentine's Day, right?

**Adyson:** Yes, that's right. Why?

**Ben:** Well, can I come with you there?

**Adyson:** Of course! Everyone's welcome to the party! Hopefully you're up for it. It's gonna involve some making-out, if possible.

**Ben:** I think I can manage.

**Adyson:** But, yeah! You can come with me there.

**Ben:** That's good, that's good. Um...bye. _(leaves)_

_(Adyson is silent, then giggles)_

* * *

**A/N:** This happens to be Part 1 of a two-part segment, just so you know. :O Sorry if this was a bit short.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (I cannot respond to reviews due to a tight schedule, sorry):

_**Galaxina-the-Seedrian**_

_**mystery girl234**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z**_

_**shadowayn**_

_**sonicboy678**_

_**AuthorD**_

_**Flying Liberty**_

_**MonkeyLover422**_

_**random guy (guest reviewer)**_

_**TheNargana**_

_**Mimi-loves-llamas**_

_**The Magic Catgirl**_

_**emico997**_

_**Proxus (guest reviewer)  
**_

_**avery (guest reviewer)**_

_**Goldwyrm12 (guest reviewer)**_

_**Rosebubbles1234**_

_**Magisking122 (guest reviewer)**_

OMG! I AM GONNA BE THE FIRST AUTHOR ON THIS COMMUNITY TO REACH **OVER 500 REVIEWS**! SERIOUSLY, I AM, I CHECKED! EEK, I'M SO **EXCITED**! KEEP UP THOSE GREAT REVIEWS, GUYS!

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD! And a happy Thanksgiving too!


	30. After: The Police Conspiracy

**A/N:** YES! 500 REVIEWS! F**K YEAH! I'd just like to thank everyone for their excellent reviews and unwavering support for this story despite its dark subject material. And before we begin, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to all of those who read and reviewed this story, especially you, Hard Coaster, for you are my magic 500th reviewer! Even if you're unsigned, you're an awesome fellow and I hope to see more reviews from you as much as everyone else!

Enough chitchat and celebrating! On with the chapter. ENJOY!

* * *

**Chief/****Commissioner O'Connor:** _(live feed) _...As the first person to be both Chief of Police and Police Commissioner, I hereby pass arrest warrants for city mortician Dr. Steve Zabrowski and the guardians of Mid-Summer's Festival shooter Ben Sweetwater, Randy and Kathy Sweetwater. We have uncovered new evidence that the three attempted to tamper with evidence to make it appear that Ben Sweetwater didn't kill his individual victims and was instead a victim. They are also suspected for the murder of another city mortician, Walter Lucky. Anyone who sees any of them should report to the police at once.

**Anita Weston:** This is the announcement made by Danville's first Chief of Police slash Police Commissioner, Gale O'Connor. As of now, Dr. Steve Zabrowski, Randy Sweetwater, and Kathy Sweetwater are declared to be wanted by the Danville Police Department for their suspected crimes. If anyone spots any one of the three, please call 911 immediately.

* * *

_**Adyson's POV  
September 10, 2015**_

My parents and I were sleeping in hotel rooms reserved by Nancy when we watched the TV. My jaw instantly dropped open at the news report, and I glanced at my parents, whose faces were also expressing an equal amount of shock. There's no way my parents could be responsible for those crimes. They're average, law-abiding citizens! Why in the world would this O'Connor person accuse them of such horrid acts. I knew I couldn't just bottle these questions, so I enlightened myself.

"Mom, Dad? Is this true?"

"No, absolutely not Addie!" my mom exclaimed. "There's NO way we would do such things!"

"O'Connor's sources have obviously been misinformed," snarled my dad.

"What about this Steve Zabrowski guy?" I asked. "D'you know him?"

"No," replied my mom.

Just then, I heard a knock on the door of our hotel room. My dad meticulously crept towards the door, looked through the peek-hole, and sighed with relief. He then unlocked the door and opened it to reveal Nancy and Aunt Allison.

"Did you see the news?" asked Aunt Allison.

"Obviously," my mom replied, walking over to her. "You're not gonna report us, right?"

"Of course not, we're not stupid enough to fall for such trickery," Nancy said. "But the hotel employees saw you guys, and there's no guaranteeing that they won't report you also. We've gotta get you guys outta here, and quickly!"

"But where?" my dad asked. "There's only one exit, and that's the main one!"

"Simple," replied Nancy. "You go out of the window."

"But what about Addie?" asked my mom. "We can't leave her, we just can't!"

"Don't worry, Kathy," Aunt Allison replied. "I'll take care of her. I'll tell the officers that she was in my room while you guys escaped, communicating nonstop with her friends! The police don't have to think that she helped you guys get away-"

"But we just can't leave her..." My mom looked at me with terror, and for once in my life, I felt that she had a right to be extremely concerned about me.

"I promise you, Kathy," Nancy said, "I won't let anything happen to your daughter. For now, you've gotta be concerned about yourself, you and Randy! Just go out of the window and go to the street below. I'm gonna call a friend of mine who lives here; she runs a homeless shelter. I'm gonna tell her that you two are homeless and are in need. She'll pick you up in a yellow sedan and take you to the shelter. The police will never suspect you're hiding there."

"But we're three stories up," my dad replied. "How in the world are we gonna get down to the ground?"

"Don't worry, Dad," I said suddenly, grabbing the bed-sheets. "Fireside Girls always come prepared!"

Within minutes, I constructed a steady makeshift rope for my parents to climb down on, and I watched sadly as they took cover in some bushes. I never really thought I'd see the day when my parents were outlawed. But alas, I am, and it really wasn't a pretty sight. I then looked at the street a few feet ahead of them, just as the yellow sedan described by Nancy drove up. My parents instantly dashed towards it, got inside, and the driver then drove off. As the car turned the corner, I watched my mom, and she watched me. Through our expressions, we sadly said goodbye to one another.

The moment the car was out of my sights, I heard, quite expectantly, sirens. I sighed and followed my aunt into her room, where Joyce and my cousins were. Joyce had gone to Aunt Allison's room to play with our cousins. I looked at her sadly; she had no idea that her parents were now on the run. And I had to be sincere with her; after all, the cops were gonna have to interview her too.

"Joyce?" I asked.

"Yes, Addie?" she replied, smiling sweetly at me.

"Pretty soon, policemen are gonna come in here."

Joyce raised an eyebrow curiously. "Why? Did we break the law?"

"No, no we didn't. But the policemen think Mommy and Daddy did, alright, and Mommy and Daddy are hiding right now."

"So, the policemen think Mommy and Daddy broke the law, but they didn't?" Joyce looked really confused. "Why?"

"I'm not sure. But you're gonna have to lie to them, okay?"

"But lying's bad, Addie!" protested Joyce.

I sighed and replied, "I know, Joyce. I cannot tell you why we have to lie to the policemen. But when you grow older, you'll find that sometimes lying _is_ necessary. It's bad, yes, but one day, you'll understand what I mean. Now, can you lie to the policemen for me, Joyce?"

Joyce reluctantly nodded. "Okay..." she said.

Suddenly, I heard officers storm out of the elevator and enter my parents' room. I then heard someone yell out in anger, and several seconds later, our door suddenly burst open and officers marched in, with one of them firing his gun into the ceiling. We all screamed in terror.

"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!" Aunt Allison cried. "What'd we do, officers?"

Just then, Chief/Commissioner (boy, does it sound ridiculous) O'Connor appeared, a shotgun drawn. He pointed it at Aunt Allison.

"Where are they?!" he demanded.

"Who?" Aunt Allison asked innocently, but O'Connor, for some reason, wasn't convinced. He pointed his gun to the ceiling and fired a couple of shots.

"YOU KNOW WHO THE HELL I MEAN, WOMAN!" he screamed. "YOU HELPED THEM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!"

But Aunt Allison held her ground firmly. "Look, Commissioner, or Chief, whichever you prefer, I saw the news, but I swear, I had no idea about my sister's activities, and I never knew they just left! But you can't just barge in like this and-"

I didn't think O'Connor would have the guts to do it, but he did: He pointed his shotgun at little Joyce. My cousins whimpered fearfully.

"Tell me everything," he growled, "or I KILL her."

My heart was pounding at high speeds. Was this actually happening? Was this officer, an enforcer of the law, determined to coldly kill a five-year-old in exchange for information on the whereabouts of two fugitives who happened to be my own parents? And worse yet, what would Aunt Allison pick? Covering for her sister, or saving her niece and my sister?

I didn't know if I should be angry at Aunt Allison's decision or not the moment she replied, "They're at a homeless shelter. Please, don't kill my niece."

To our relief, O'Connor lowered his shotgun and nodded at an officers. To our shock, he then ordered, "Kill them, officers."

"WHAT?!" I screamed.

"NO, NO, NO, DON'T, PLEASE!" Aunt Allison shrieked.

We were all begging for our lives nonstop, but the officers wouldn't listen and instead aimed their assault rifles at us. Just then, the sounds of gunfire erupted, but none of the officers were firing their weapons. Instead, they all fell to the floor, just as the gunfire stopped. A second later, Nancy appeared in the doorway, holding an assault rifle with a drum magazine.

"NANCY!" I cried with relief.

"Where'd you get that?" asked Aunt Allison, pointing at the rifle.

"Snagged it from a SWAT agent who was slacking off," Nancy replied. "Come on, we've gotta get going!"

"You're too late, Sweetwaters," a voice croaked.

I looked down and saw O'Connor lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Blinded with rage, I grabbed the collar of his shirt so I could face him.

"WHY?!" I cried furiously. "WHY DID YOU TRY TO KILL US?! WHY ARE YOU ACCUSING MY PARENTS?! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!"

O'Connor just smirked and spat in my face, causing me to stumble back a bit. Naturally, it was more blood than spit that coated my face. I wiped the disgusting mixture from my face and looked at him.

"I wouldn't ask too much questions if I were you," he croaked. Suddenly, he already drew a revolver and aimed it, but not at us. "Wanna know how your cousin died?" He laughed feebly. "Here's a hint for you, girl..."

I instantly looked away, just as a single gunshot resonated around the room. My leg was touching his still, so I felt a sudden, split-second-long convulsion before his body lay on the floor, disturbingly still. Nancy sighed disapprovingly, then said, "We've gotta move. We have to find Randy and Kathy!"

* * *

**Anita Weston:** Breaking news, there have been reports of a police massacre at the Danville Luxury Hotel, where officers responding to a report of the sighting of wanted couple Randy and Kathy Sweetwater found twelve of their own shot to death in a hallway and also in a hotel room. All twelve officers were the first responders to the report. Also killed were three hotel employees and two patrons. Among the dead police officers is Danville's first Chief/Commissioner, Gale O'Connor, who was leading the squadron. Looks like he will also be the person to hold that unique position for the shortest amount of time, at 22 hours.

The Sweetwaters have been named as the suspects of this massacre. Quite ironically, their nephew Benjamin was responsible for perpetrating the Mid-Summer's Festival massacre that left 37 dead, including four police officers. Anyone who sees Randy and Kathy Sweetwater is urged to contact authorities immediately, and also to be advised to stay clear of the suspects. They are presumed to be armed and extremely dangerous.

* * *

_**Adyson's POV**_

Inside Nancy's SUV, Joyce wouldn't stop crying, and neither would my girlish and now-panicked cousins, but I completely understood Joyce's situation. This marked the second time in her life that she nearly died at the hands of lunatics. It's a good thing those officers are now dead.

"Wait a minute," said Nancy, "is that..._them_?"

I looked over at the side of the road, and indeed, I could see my parents standing at the curb, accompanied by an older gray-haired, balding man, definitely not Nancy's friend in the yellow sedan. All three were waving frantically at the SUV, which Nancy stopped alongside them. The three hurriedly got inside, and Joyce and I happily hugged my parents.

"We've gotta get out of here, quick!" the stranger told Nancy. "Your friend's gonna sell us out!"

"Who are you?" Aunt Allison asked.

"Dr. Steve Zabrowski, city mortician," replied the man.

"_You're_ the Steve Zabrowski they mentioned on the news?" I asked.

"Yep, that's me."

"Well then, now that we're here..." my dad said, and suddenly he grabbed Zabrowski's shirt collar. "WHY THE HELL DO THEY WANT YOU, AND US TOO? WHAT DO YOU KNOW, MR. ZABROWSKI?!"

"WHOA!" exclaimed Zabrowski. "EASY, EASY!" Reluctantly, my dad released him with some help from my mom. Finally, Zabrowski enlightened us, explaining what we all desperately wanted to hear.

"You must be wondering why the police are trying to kill you? Well, it all started with the Mid-Summer's Festival shooting. You know that Ben was responsible for six of the 37 fatalities, is that right?" We all nodded, and he suddenly replied, "Well, you've been misinformed."

"What?" I asked, shocked. "Ben didn't kill those people?"

He shook his head. "I've been city mortician for thirty years, and believe me, I instantly _knew_ the bullets I retrieved from the six victims' bodies didn't match any of the guns Ben used in the massacre, not even in the slightest. But what the bullets _did_ match to was the weapons used by SWAT agents when they responded to the shooting."

"SWAT killed those six people?" asked my dad.

"Yes. On accident, it appears; my examinations of the six bodies show that they were all shot from far range and slowly died from bleeding out. What I can conclude is that SWAT agents mistook fleeing survivors for gunmen when they suddenly popped up, and they responded by shooting them."

"Then why all of this?" Aunt Allison asked. "Why didn't the officers admit their mistakes?"

"It must be because O'Connor's too proud, too arrogant. He didn't want to make the officers look bad, so he pinned Ben for those murders. But I already knew the truth, and so did Dr. Walter Lucky, another mortician who worked on the six bodies.

"We wanted to tell the truth to the public, but we didn't have any solid evidence to prove things. But since there were helicopters recording the shooting, we went to Ron Goldmann to gain access to those videos. And lo and behold, we found one video of SWAT agents opening fire on victim Kaylee Sassy. The three of us then showed the video to Chief Ron Palmers, the only officer we could trust.

"But before we could go public, we needed to notify you Sweetwaters first, of the truth. But you wouldn't answer our phone calls."

"We thought there were other purposes for those phone calls," my dad replied, "so we didn't answer. We didn't want any attention anymore."

"Well, I guess that explains much! Anyway, I had a conference to attend in Seattle, Washington, so I left. But somehow, O'Connor found out about our plan to expose him and the department, so he and the officers involved in their conspiracy killed Dr. Lucky, Ron Goldmann, and Chief Palmers to remove loose ends, and covered up their murders. And, of course, he planned to kill us too."

"But that's it, right?" I asked. "It's over, right? O'Connor and the officers are dead."

"But we're suspects in their deaths, Addie," my mom said. "We have prove our innocence, and to do that, we need to show Danville that O'Connor lied to everyone. But we're gonna need that tape. You know where it is, Dr. Zabrowski."

To our relief, he procured it from his pocket. "I never go anywhere without it," he said, smiling.

"Wait, how do we show the videotape to everyone?" I asked.

"Through the one place everyone watches," Zabrowski replied.

Just then, we heard blaring sirens, and suddenly, two police cars appeared at an intersection that Nancy's SUV was entering.

"Hang on!" Nancy cried as she stepped on the gas, and the SUV blazed past the police cars, both of which now gained pursuit.

* * *

**Anita Weston:** This just in, police have given pursuit to an SUV belonging to Nancy Bremington, the mother of New Orleans school shooter Nathan Bremington. Also inside are suspected to be Randy and Kathy Sweetwater, both wanted for the police massacre at the Danville Luxury Hotel. We also have unconfirmed reports that their entire family is inside as well. They are currently heading down Redding Boulevard...no wait, they just turned a right onto Maple Drive!

* * *

_**Buford's POV**_

Adyson, in a car chase with the police? This is really serious. I instantly wheeled on over to the phone, all the while thinking nonstop. I never believed the crap the news was telling about Adyson's parents being killers, and there was no way her and her family was gonna go down for some false accusations! Grabbing the phone, I quickly dialed a number and waited for him to answer.

"Hello?" a moody voice asked.

"'Jeet, it's Byoof," I replied. "I need you to gather everyone at Irving's house! We've got a car chase to stop!"

"Do it yourself, Buford," 'Jeet replied sadly.

I couldn't take this anymore. I instantly said, "Listen here, 'Jeet, I know losing your girl's hard, and it's completely understandable! But what would happen if your girl saw you in this lowly position? Would she approve? HELL NO! She'd be asking why you aren't out there, helping your friends! Adyson and her family are gonna go down for crimes they obviously don't have the capacity to commit, and you're just sitting in your house, moping! What would she say about THAT? Huh? Think about that as long as you'd like, but our friend's almost about to be taken down, and I'd rather not see that happening. See ya at Irving's!"

I slammed the phone and hurriedly wheeled on over to the garage, where my ride waited.

* * *

_**Baljeet's POV**_

I put down the phone on the counter, shocked. Buford's words had a profound impact on my heart, and worse yet, he was _right_. Wendy wouldn't want to see me like this; she'd rather see the upbeat, nerdy me. I looked down at the cracked ruby necklace I gave Wendy for her birthday, which I had been keeping now ever since her untimely death. More than once did I suddenly and unexpectedly see her reflection in that necklace.

And now, I was seeing it again. But this time, she looked confused and disappointed. Confused and disappointed..._in me_. Wendy wouldn't want me to be this way, and yet, I am. I've let her down..._  
_

I looked at the TV, which was still showing the car chase live, and then it all hit me.

No, I didn't let Wendy down. I never did. I still have a fighting chance at being who I really am, even though she's gone and no longer in my life. Clutching the necklace lovingly, I grabbed my cell phone and rushed out of the house.

* * *

**A/N:** Buford and Baljeet to the rescue! What is going to happen next?

Next chapter, we'll see Ben go to Katie's Valentine's Day party with Adyson...

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

_**bookwrm23 [Well, glad I saved you from total craziness!]**_

_**MonkeyLover422 [It really depends. So far, I'm gonna say that it'll be over in about 40 chapters or so.]**_

_**Galaxina-the-Seedrian [Indeed!]**_

_**Vertical Fall (guest reviewer)**_

_**Hard Coaster (guest reviewer) [A.K.A. MY 500TH REVIEWER! YEAH, BABY, YEAH!]**_

_**PxIforever101**_

_**Mimi-loves-llamas [Thanks for the effort, but I already have 500 reviews now.]**_

_**shadowayn [Excellent guess right there...]**_

_**EternalxNightxWalker [Why, thanks for reviewing! Hope you continue to be interested...]**_

_**Goldwyrm12 (guest reviewer)**_

_**AuthorD**_

_**humanusscriptor**_

_**MsAmiClassified**_

_**Proxus [Well, good luck as a member of this site!]**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z [You'll see why Ben eventually participates...]**_

_**TheNargana [Don't worry, the story won't be THAT long.]**_

_**Out with a Whoosh and a Thunk [Goal already achieved, but thanks anyway!]**_

_**dixicorn [**_**XD_]_**

**_My Dictator Level is Over 9000 [Aw, I liked NattyMc better. But keep the new pen-name if you wish, it's fine also.]_**

**_Flying Liberty [Good observations there.]_**

**_The Magic Catgirl [Oh, really? Well, just know that the whole Nazi salute scene is just meant to attract more hate for the four characters, or more like three. I have no quarrel with your religion, that is, if you inherited your great-uncle's beliefs.]_**

**_Number 4 (guest reviewer)_**

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	31. Before: Valentine's Day Party, Part 2

**A/N:** Sorry for updating so late. School was once again being a nuisance, and I was also attached to updating my "Simpsons" fics. But now, I'm back!

Before I begin, I wanna answer some recent messages people have been sending me, about updating my resurrected "Evil Phineas" fic. I know I've been kicking back too much on it, and I apologize for that. But for some reason, I don't feel inspired to update it right now. I WILL update it eventually, but I just feel attached to my other fics to occupy myself with this goal, so PLEASE, BE PATIENT. You guys are starting to sound forceful.

Okay, on with the program. ENJOY!

* * *

_**Sweetwater Camera POV  
February 14, 2015  
07:04:59 P.M.  
**__**6 months, 2 days prior to the massacre**_  


_(begin videotape. Adyson is recording Ben and herself walking to Katie's house, which sounds lively. She is wearing a flowing red dress, while Ben is wearing a black suit.)_

**Adyson:** Here we are, Katie's house! And ready to celebrate Valentine's Day, a day of some loving! _(giggles)_ Personally, I hope Isabella survives today.

**Ben:** Why is that?

**Adyson:** You know, the whole Phinabella thing and all.

**Phineas:** _(suddenly appearing with Ferb)_ Wow, people seem to like this Phinabella.

**Adyson:** Um...more than you think, Phineas...

**Phineas:** _(smiling)_ You should tell me that TV show that features the couple. It seems to be all the rage nowadays.

**Ben:** Uh..._later_...

_(Adyson giggles as Ferb glares at her and Ben)_

_(cut to Phineas knocking on Katie's front door. The door opens to reveal Katie wearing a nice yellow dress)_

**Katie:** Hey, guys! I'm SO glad you came! _(looks at Ben)_ Especially _you_, Ben...

**Ben:** _(nervously) _Ummmmm..._thanks_... _(grabs Adyson's hand and runs inside, where many teenagers are partying)_

**Adyson:** WHOA, Ben! What's the hurry?

**Ben:** _(stopping, speaking hurriedly)_ Nothing, nothing. So, what do you think we should do first?

**Adyson:** I'm gonna try and find Django. I heard he's coming, and I'd like to ask him to dance with me.

_(Ben's teeth clenches, and he growls jealously. He then clears his throat calmly.)_

**Ben:** Well, I don't see him around here. Maybe he's not coming. Okay, he's not coming. Let's do something together, as... _(teeth clenches again) cousins_.

**Adyson:** You seem to be in a hurry, Ben. What's wrong?

**Ben:** I just wanna spend time with you, like the good ol' days.

**Adyson:** I _do_ wanna spend time with you, Ben.

**Ben:** _(smiling happily) _You do?

**Adyson:** _(smiling back)_ Of course! What kind of cousin would I be if I didn't spend time with you? _(Ben frowns disapprovingly, but she doesn't notice)_ But maybe you need to lighten it up a bit. You've been a little..._needy_ towards me lately.

**Ben:** What makes you think I'm needy?

**Adyson:** You keep following me everywhere, even when I spend time with my friends. And whenever I do spend time with my friends, you seem to keep pulling me _away_ from them. Especially whenever Django's around. I have this bad feeling that you don't like Django.

**Ben:** What?! I _do_ like Django! I just felt that I need to get caught up with our relat- I mean, _friendship_, since I spent some months in a mental health facility.

**Adyson:** Then you can spend it with me _and_ my friends.

_(cut)_

**Isabella:** Hey, Addie! Over here!

_(the camera turns to record Isabella, who is wearing a sparkling purple dress. She is accompanied by Ferb.)_

**Adyson:** _(shrieking girlishly)_ IZZIE! OMG, YOU LOOK SO **BEAUTIFUL**!

**Isabella:** _(smiling shyly)_ Wow, Gretchen, Ginger, Wendy, and Katie said that to me earlier. And to think that I spent all of my allowance on this thing. So...do you think Phineas would notice me in this?

**Adyson:** Trust me, _no boy_ can notice you. Ben, what do you think of Isabella? Do you think Phineas will notice her in that dress?

**Ben:** _(smiling dreamily)_ I think so...

_(However, Ben is staring at Adyson instead. Adyson and Isabella don't notice, but Ferb looks at him with some concern)_

_(cut to Phineas, Baljeet, and Wendy joining the group)_

**Phineas:** Hey, guys! What's up?

**Isabella:** _(with a hint of flirtation, showing off her dress)_ Hiya, Phineas. Whatcha' doin'?

_(the camera catches a strange glint in Phineas's eye, but other than that, there doesn't to be any responsive emotion)_

**Phineas:** Oh, hey Isabella. This is a nice party Katie's got here, huh?

**Isabella:** _(downcast)_ Oh.

**Adyson:** _(clearing her throat)_ So...Phineas...do you see a certain change in the group?

**Phineas:** Oh, there's _no_ doubt.

_(Isabella looks hopeful, as does Adyson, Baljeet, and Wendy)_

**Phineas:** Buford's not here.

_(Isabella becomes tight-lipped and she walks away, closely followed by Wendy)_

**Phineas:** _(looking after them)_ What's wrong with Izzie?

**Adyson:** Nothing. _(to herself) _Phineas, you hopeless, _oblivious_ MORON!

_(cut. Phineas had already left, leaving her, Ben, and Ferb)_

**Ben:** Isabella's sure taking it hard. _(Adyson turns the camera and records Isabella sobbing the backyard, while being comforted by the other Fireside Girls and Wendy)_

**Adyson:** Yeah. Phineas needs to get a move on. Ferb! You need to knock some sense into him! If he keeps up the Mr. Oblivious act, Isabella might as well murder him!

**Ferb:** What else can I do? Every time I try to talk about Isabella's feelings with him, I inadvertently steer us into another subject.

**Adyson:** _(setting the camera down on a table)_ Just blurt it out to him! It's that simple!

**Ferb:** I tried that once. Didn't work.

**Adyson:** Wait, you actually _told_ him?

**Ferb:** Yep. But he kept thinking of the so-called love as a friendly love, so it was hopeless. The only thing that'll save Phinabella is if Isabella kisses him.

**Ben:** She won't do that. She's too nervous. She think it won't work anyway, and that Phineas would laugh at her and reject her love.

**Adyson:** How exactly do you know _that_, Ben?

**Ben:** Experience. _(Adyson and Ferb glare at him)_ I've watched a couple of soap operas!

**Adyson:** If you say so, Ben.

_(Django suddenly appears and joins the group)_

**Django:** Hey, guys! Sorry I'm late; traffic was murder.

**Ben:** _(to himself)_ I wish it really _was_. _(Ferb looks at him suspiciously)_

**Adyson:** Hi, Django.

**Django:** _(eyes widening at the sight of Adyson)_ Hi yourself. You look _beautiful_ in that dress.

**Adyson:** _(showing off her dress)_ Thanks. It was Ben's idea to get it, wasn't it, Ben?

**Ben:** _(calmly)_ Yes, yes it was. _(stands up and leaves)_

**Django:** What's with him?

**Ferb:** He's been having some problems lately.

**Adyson:** What, really? He never told me that!

**Ferb:** Ummm...yeah. He didn't want to worry you, so he told me instead. Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta go_._

_(Ferb leaves Adyson and Django alone)_

**Django:** Huh. That was odd. _(looks at Adyson)_ So...uh...wanna _dance_, Addie?

**Adyson:** _(blushing)_ Oh! S-Sure...

_(the two join several couples on a nearby dance floor and dance)_

_(cut to Adyson and Django still dancing)_

**Adyson:** You're a really good dancer, Django.

**Django:** Really? Huh, never knew I had it in me. I've always thought making works of art was my talent.

**Adyson:** Well, everyone's great at a lot of things. We just don't know all of our talents yet.

**Django:** Wow, that's quite a philosophical statement.

**Adyson:** My dad said that.

**Django:** Huh. Your dad's smart, isn't he?

**Adyson:** Yes, yes he is.

_(they are quiet for a few minutes)_

**Django:** Addie...you look _really_ beautiful in the disco light...

**Adyson:** I wish I could say the same.

**Django:** _(worried)_ Why? What's wrong with me? Is it the messy hair?

**Adyson:** _(giggling) _Relax, silly. I was just messing with you. I think you look handsome in the light too.

_(both blush)_

_(cut to the two of them still dancing. The two begin to near in for a kiss when...)_

**Ben:** HEY, BACK OFF, ARTSO!

_(Ben suddenly storms in and shoves Django away from Adyson, attracting everyone's attention)_

**Django:** WHAT THE HECK, MAN?!

**Ben:** _(pointing at him)_ You stay away from Addie.

**Django:** Why? What's wrong? I didn't do anything!

**Ben:** Hell yeah you did something, ya hippie twerp!

**Django:** Hey, I _resent_ that remark!

**Adyson:** _(stepping beside Django)_ Ben, what the hell's _wrong_ with you?

**Ben:** I'll tell you what's wrong with me! This party's all WRONG! It's not for us, Addie! Come on, we're leaving!

**Adyson:** I'm NOT leaving, Ben! And what d'you mean this party's not for us?

**Ben:** IT'S JUST NOT FOR US, ADDIE! NOW, COME ON!

**Adyson:** I'M **NOT** LEAVING, BEN!

**Phineas:** Hey, hey, settle down, guys! Let's not ruin this party, all right?

**Ben:** You're right, Phineas. I'm not gonna ruin this party, for Addie's sake. _(he suddenly grabs Adyson and pulls her away)_

**Adyson:** BEN! BEN, LET GO!

**Django:** HEY, LET GO OF HER!

_(Django grabs Ben's wrist, but Ben suddenly punches him. Adyson is able to escape and gets to Django, who is clutching his bloody nose. Ben tries to grab her again, but Ferb grabs his wrist before he can do so.)_

**Ferb:** Stop it, Ben!

_(Ben punches Ferb)_

**Phineas:** BRO!

_(Phineas gets to Ferb's side, while several party-goers rush forward, stepping in front of Ben. He tries to fight his way through, but the crowd soon overpowers him and pushes him to the front door. It is silent for a moment, and the crowd continues to shield Phineas, Ferb, Adyson, and Django.)_

**Ben:** Addie! Addie, I'm sorry! I'm sorry about that! Let's just go home, please! I don't wanna be here!

**Adyson:** _(angrily)_ No, YOU go home! I'm staying here!

**Ben:** Addie-

**Adyson:** GET OUTTA HERE! I DON'T WANNA SEE YOU AGAIN! JUST GET OUTTA HERE!

**Ben:** _Addie_-

**Adyson: GO!**

_(cut to Ben yelling out in grief, followed by the slamming of the front door)_

_(cut to complete silence. The front door then opens.)_

**Buford:** Hey, wimps! Sorry I'm late. Now, let's get this party STARTED!

_(silence)_

**Buford:** What? Did I miss anything?

* * *

_**Goodwill Springs Security Camera 1 POV  
07:45:39 P.M.**_

_(Ben storms out of Katie's house and walks down the sidewalk, all the while making aggravated motions)_

* * *

**_Goodwill Springs Security Camera 2 POV  
07:45:53 P.M._**

_(Ben continues to walk down the sidewalk)_

* * *

**_Goodwill Springs Security Camera 3 POV  
07:46:11 P.M._**

_(Ben continues to walk down the sidewalk and he kicks a nearby trash can, sending it tumbling to the ground and spilling its contents out)_

* * *

**_Goodwill Springs Security Camera 4 POV  
07:46:29 P.M._**

_(Ben sits down on the sidewalk and buries his face in his palms)_

_**08:03:47 P.M.**  
_

_(Ben is approached by a teenager whose face isn't seen due to the darkness. He sits down next to Ben and the two begin talking.)_

_**08:27:49 P.M.**  
_

_(Ben and the teenager stand up and walk away calmly)_

* * *

**_Peterson Street Security Camera POV  
10:49:38 P.M._**

_(Ben and the teenager approach the front door of a one-story house and Ben knocks on it. The door eventually opens, and the two are invited inside)_

* * *

**_Radeson Camera POV  
February 16, 2015  
07:40:48 A.M.  
6 months prior to the massacre_**

_(begin videotape. Andrew, Gabriel, Tyler, and Ben are recording themselves in the living room. All of them are wearing their body armor. Also with them is a fifth person, who is also wearing body armor. The person isn't identified due to the mask he or she is wearing.)_

**Andrew:** Hello, Tri-State Area. This is the Force of Five saying-

_(all five point guns at the camera)_

**All five: LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN!**

* * *

**A/N:** :O :O :O :O :O ... Is anyone else SHOCKED by this? Guess who the fifth person is, and you get cyber cookies!

I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:

_**Galaxina-the-Seedrian**_

_**Vertical Fall [Oh, hey Randomchick16!]**_

_**Mimi-loves-llamas [I'm glad you love the little twist I prepared there!]**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z [That's not a form of criticism, is it?]**_

_**Flying Liberty**_

_**EternalxNightxWalker [Oh, but it ended badly.]**_

_**MonkeyLover422 [Oh, you'll see how they'll accomplish this feat...]**_

_**humanusscriptor**_

_**random guy (guest reviewer) [No, it wasn't Ben who killed Isabella.]**_

_**bookwrm23 [Thank you very much!]**_

_**sonicboy678 [Nah, it's okay. Take your time. And that's a good comment you left there.]**_

_**shadowayn (guest reviewer)**_

_**TheNargana [Sorry if you think this is actually scary...]**_

_**Da Darkest Knight**_

_**AuthorD [Ah, you're confused. Excellent! And I'm not saying this sadistically. It's all part of the entertainment process.]**_

_**Proxus [Thanks for having faith in me reaching 600 reviews! If I do, then I'll be the first to reach that mark! Oh, how I am proud of myself... And a 2nd Dimension episode is being planned? ...HUZZAH!]**_

_**Anonymity (guest reviewer) [I'm glad you like this story even though it's not the type of story you'd be willing to read!]**_

_**Out with a Whoosh and a Thunk [Believe me, I'm pretty sure the result would be catastrophic...]**_

_**Hard Coaster (guest reviewer) [Oh, really?]**_

_**person124 [YAY, 1st place for me! I'm so proud of myself, and also of you reviewers!]**_

_**Yellow Car (guest reviewer)**_

_**readwritereview [Ah, your reviews are so fascinating...]**_

TheCartoonFanatic is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	32. After: Truths Exposed

**A/N:** My God, a lot of major crap has happened while I was gone. The Oregon mall shooting, the Connecticut elementary school shooting...my faith in humanity is just diminishing right there. *sighs and shakes head disapprovingly* May God watch the poor souls of those victims.

ENJOY! If you can...

* * *

**Anita Weston:** Hello, Danville. Live coverage of the car chase continues...

* * *

_**Buford's POV  
****September 10, 2015**_

'Jeet and I led the group of kids we assembled as we all rushed over to Irving's house, hearing the police sirens blaring in the distance. I chose Irving's place because if our plan to help Adyson and her family went wrong, then Irving could record everything just in case. We gathered in his front yard, just as I see one of the many closed curtains shift, revealing Irving's sunken face. Man, did he look like hell or what?

Soon, Irving opened his door and stepped outside, a look of frustration etched on his face. "What're you guys doing here?" he demanded. "If this is about my efforts in videotaping that shooter when he came up to me, then forget it. I'm no hero, all right?"

"It's not about that, Irving," I replied. "We need your help. You've seen the news, right?"

"No."

I face-palmed myself. "Adyson's in trouble. The police are after her and her family for something they obviously didn't do, and we're gonna help them, even if it means landing ourselves in jail. We want you to record anything that is really important, just in case it'll come in handy."

"NO!" Irving flailed his arms like crazy. "NO **WAY**! MY RECORDING DAYS ARE **OVER**! ALL IT'S EVER GONNA DO IS GET ME DEEPER THAN I ALREADY AM!"

"Dude, you were even deeper when you started stalking Phineas and Ferb!" When Irving stuck his chin up at me in resistance, I sighed, trying my best to think of something that'll get him to join us. The police sirens were coming closer. Finally, I struck gold. "What'll Phineas and Ferb say about this?"

The moment Irving ran into his house and emerged minutes later with a camera, I knew that my query was a hard hit to his hidden stalker soul.

"Let's do this," he said coolly. "So, what's the plan?"

"We're gonna make some retractable road spikes and lay them across the road. Once Adyson's car passes, we flick open the spikes and stop the police cars!"

"One question," someone asked, "_how_ are we gonna make road spikes?"

"Have you forgotten what Phineas and Ferb taught us?" replied 'Jeet. "Use your imagination! Let it run rampart! Come on, people, let's DO THIS! We must prove to Adyson that we now support her, and that we're willing to help her out in a time of need!"

Everyone nodded, with some people applauding in approval, before we all set our plan in motion. Using whatever we found around us and inside Irving's house, we carefully constructed a strip of road spikes that would pop up and then back in with the press of a button. By the time we were done creating our little masterpiece, a kid acting as a sentry announced that Adyson's car and several police cars are closing in.

"Okay, guys!" I announced. "LET'S DO THIS!"

Everyone roared out in approval, and several dragged one side of the road spike strip to the other side of the street. 'Jeet knelt down beside the button designed to unleash the spikes, watching with me as Adyson's SUV appeared in our sights.

* * *

**Anita Weston:** Alright, the SUV is still driving down Maple Drive, and...wait a minute, what are those kids doing there? Are they _dragging_ something across the street?

* * *

_**Adyson's POV**_

I watched ahead as all of my friends dragged something to the other side of the street. I could see Buford, Baljeet, Katie, the rest of the Fireside Girls, and even Irving, who was recording from a handheld camera, much to my surprise. Just as we passed them all and ran over the thing they carried across the street, I saw the Fireside Girls smile kindly at me, and Buford gave me the thumbs up.

I smiled. My friends were back.

* * *

_**Baljeet's POV**_

"**NOW!**" roared Buford. There was no need for me to be told twice. Seconds after Adyson's SUV passed the road spike strip, I pressed the button.

A series of menacing spikes popped out from our nifty contraption, just as the first police cruiser drove past them. We heard a popping noise, which was followed by a deadly hiss as the car swerved to the side and crashed into a nearby tree. Another car followed, and another one, and three more later, the rest of the police cars skidded to a stop.

"Alright, guys, let's scram!" I cried, and we all ran while I pushed Buford's wheelchair.

* * *

_**Adyson's POV**_

We watched from the rear-view mirrors as the police cruisers were incapacitated by my friends' device. My smile widened; the influence of Phineas and Ferb was still upon all of us even after all of this mess. I nodded at Nancy, who nodded back and continued driving towards our destination: the headquarters of Danville News.

* * *

_**No POV**_

Lieutenant York slammed on the brakes, skidding his police car to a stop just in time to avoid getting his tires slashed by the road spikes. Screaming and cursing in frustration, he watched as the teenagers who set up the spikes ran in the opposite direction as fast as they can. Growling angrily, he got out of the car, whipped out his pistol, and fired several shots at them. However, he missed, and the teenagers disappeared behind a house.

"DAMN IT!" York cried. He turned to a police officer. "Tell all units that are still on the move to cut off that SUV at Singer Street. They CANNOT reach Danville News's headquarters! Tell 'em that they have bombs and guns and they MUST be shot on sight!"

"Um..._why_?"

York looked at the police officer, realizing instantly that he was a rookie and had no idea about the Danville Police Department conspiracy. Sighing with disappointment, the lieutenant emptied his pistol on the officer, then looked at another, more older policeman.

"You know what to do."

"Yes, Lieutenant York," the officer replied. He then pressed a button on his walkie-talkie. "All units not on Maple Drive, converge to Singer Street and set up a blockade. Suspects are confirmed to have explosives and high-powered guns. They are to be shot on sight."

"Roger that," a voice replied.

* * *

_**Adyson's POV**_

"There it is!" Zabrowski shouted, pointing at the skyscraper with the title 'DANVILLE NEWS' on the side. He took out the videotape and examined it carefully. "Pretty soon, all of this will be over-"

However, the mortician was cut off when Nancy stepped on the brakes hard, jerking her SUV to a stop. "What? What's going on, Nancy?" I asked.

There was no need for her to answer, for I already saw them. A blockade of police officers and SWAT agents lined up on the street, all of their guns focused on us. Civilians that were nearby were running for cover. I could hear helicopters flying above us. My mind began to flash back to the Mid-Summer's Festival. Shaking my head, I struggled to maintain my composure. Just then, we heard more sirens and saw more police cars drive up behind us. At our sides were buildings and no other streets to go through. We were surrounded, trapped like rats.

"What'll we do?" one of my cousins asked.

Nancy gulped, then replied, "You guys duck down. I'm gonna drive through the blockade."

"What? NO!" my dad screamed. "They'll open fire on us!"

"They'll open fire on _me_," said Nancy. "Not you. I'm the only one in their sights. You guys will duck down."

"Nancy, no!" I exclaimed. "Don't do that!"

Nancy looked at me and smiled. "My debt has been paid."

Before I say anything, she stepped on the gas pedal hard, and the SUV stormed down the street. Police opened fire, forcing everyone but Nancy to duck. We heard glass shatter and the earsplitting sound of gunfire coming closer. I held Joyce in my arms as she cried. Then, there came a monstrous jerk that nearly forced everyone off of their seats; Nancy had driven her way through the blockade. It was seconds after when the SUV slowed down to a stop.

I looked up and saw Nancy's bullet-riddled body. There was a smile on her face as her empty eyes stared off at the road.

* * *

**Anita Weston:** Oh my God! Oh my God, the SUV just drove through that police blockade! A-and it looks like the passengers are getting out! And...wait a minute, that's our headquarters! That's where we are! Oh my God!

* * *

I took one last look at Nancy before I followed my family and Zabrowski into the Danville News headquarters. We could hear the police officers running behind us.

"Hey, hey!" a security guard shouted. "D'you have a pass to enter the building?"

"Here it is!" Zabrowski said hurriedly, showing the videotape in the guard's face as we all approached an elevator. To our relief, its doors opened immediately, revealing two people.

"Sorry for the trouble," my mom said as we all boarded the elevator.

Ignoring the other passengers' discomfort, Zabrowski pressed a button on the elevator. The doors closed just before SWAT agents arrived, and we spent the next few minutes waiting for the elevator to reach the destined floor, panting like crazy. Pretty soon, the doors opened and we all ran out and down a hallway.

"Alright, the broadcasting room should be right here!" Zabrowski said, pointing to a door.

My dad tried to open the door, but it was locked, so with brute force, he kicked it down. Inside were three men who were manning the broadcasting channels. One of them instantly noticed us and nervously asked, "Uh...can I help you folks?"

"We need you to broadcast this videotape on ALL channels!" Zabrowski replied, showing the videotape.

Another man, a small, stout man, stood up and confronted Zabrowski. "I'm sorry," he said calmly, "but you need authorized clearance to- OOF!"

Wow, I never knew I could punch so hard.

* * *

_**No POV**_

"WHAT?!" screamed York as he continued to converse on the walkie-talkie.

"The suspects have gone into Danville News headquarters, Lieutenant," the other end repeated in response.

"IS THAT GONNA STOP YOU? HUH? GET IN THERE AND **SHOOT TO KILL**! MANY RESPECTABLE COPS DIED TODAY, AND ARE YOU GONNA LET 'EM GET AWAY WITH **THAT**?!"

There was a brief silence, and then the other end replied, "No, sir."

* * *

_**Adyson's POV**_

The other two men took the message, with one redirecting all of the channels and the other grabbing Zabrowski's videotape and inserting it into a slot.

"Alright, now to finalize it," he said, preparing to press a button.

* * *

_**No POV**_

The SWAT agents lined themselves up next to the kicked-down door of the broadcasting room.

"We go in at three...two..."

* * *

_**Adyson's POV**_

The man was about to press the button when we all heard a voice shout, "ONE!" This was quickly followed by a team of SWAT agents storming into the room, their guns drawn and aimed at us. I gasped, shocked at the outcome.

"HANDS UP WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM! NOW!" the commander roared.

"PLEASE!" I cried. "We didn't do _anything_!"

"THAT'S WHAT THEY ALL SAY, YOUNG LADY! I SAID **HANDS UP**!"

I looked at the man. "Please, mister," I pleaded, "press the button."

"Don't do it, mister!" the commander cried. "It's evidence, and to distribute it to the public without us investigating it first is obstruction of justice!"

"_Please_," I said. "Please, mister, I'm _begging_ you! We did NOTHING!"_  
_

The man looked at me, then at the police, then back at me. "Then why're you making me broadcast this video?"

"It's proof that my cousin didn't do what everyone said he did."

Bad thing to say. The man's eyes widened with shock. "_You're_ the Sweetwaters!" His voice was laced with accusation and contempt, and my jaw dropped open with disbelief as he continued. "Your brother killed my sister!" He looked at the police. "Arrest them! Get them out of my sight!"

I hung my head in shock and sadness. I couldn't believe it. We lost. ...We _lost_. And now, we're going to jail for something we didn't do. I couldn't believe it. It was just too much for me that I began to cry. I could feel Joyce looking at me. I don't think she's ever seen me cry before. Another lesson in her life, taught the hard way. My crying worsened as the agents seized my wrists and cuffed them.

I looked up at the man who doomed me and my family. I instantly noticed his surname: Sassy. My eyes widened, and I knew what to do now.

"The police killed your sister!" I shouted.

He looked at me with shock. "What?"

"Your sister, Kaylee, she's in the video! She is shot by police, not Ben!"

"What?" the man repeated. He then shook his head angrily. "No, that's not true! Police would never do that!"

"But _they_ did. Look at the video. It'll prove everything."

"No, it won't!" the man shouted, pressing the finalization button. "SEE? THERE!"

But my, was he proven wrong when the videotape was broadcast to all of Danville's channels, giving him a 360-degree view of the multiple televisions in the room. Everyone watched as the recording showed a SWAT team enter the festival, near the food stands. I saw a head peek out from one of them, and then, a young, orange-haired woman with a purple bow emerged, a bit too fast. SWAT instantly opened fire, and I cringed as the woman fell to the ground, never to move again. I heard the man gasp in horror.

I looked at SWAT, all of whom had frozen cold. I smiled triumphantly at my family.

We won.

* * *

_**Phineas's POV**_

I was watching the TV with Anabel and the other patients in the mental health facility when the channel switched to a video of SWAT storming the festival and shooting that poor woman. Everyone's jaws dropped open in shock, especially mine.

* * *

_**Candace's POV**_

Perry, Carl, Dad, Uncle Adrian, Aunt Lucy, my cousins, and I were watching the TV when the channel switched to a video of SWAT coming into the festival. My jaw dropped open as I watched Kaylee Sassy, someone I was familiar with, was shot by police. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

* * *

_**Buford's POV**_

We were watching the TV in Irving's house to follow Adyson when this popped up. So, _this_ is what Adyson and her family were escaping the police for? To expose a cover-up by the police?

...

Totally epic.

* * *

_**No POV**_

All around Danville and the Tri-State Area, everyone had crowded around the nearest TV to watch with shock as the police conspiracy was exposed. Among those watching were the Radeson, Garrison, and Vladimirescu parents.

"My God..." Mr. Radeson said.

* * *

**Anita Weston:** ...Oh my God. ...In my years of reporting, I am finally at a loss of words...

* * *

_**Adyson's POV**_

My smile widened even more as the SWAT agents took the cuffs off of me, my parents, Zabrowski, and Aunt Allison. Zabrowski smiled proudly at the videotape and exhaled, relieved that it was finally over. I too was relieved. And, in fact, a little amused by the way the SWAT commander removed his mask and gaped stupidly at the TV screens, watching his colleagues commit the most horrifying of acts.

I looked at the man who now knew the real truth behind his sister's death. Then, I remembered something.

"By the way," I said to him, catching his attention, "you were wrong. Ben isn't my brother. He's my cousin." But I smiled the widest smile of the day. "But I couldn't have asked for a better brother like him."

I then looked back at the videotape, relieved that Ben's name was cleared of the murders.

Just then, I noticed something at the corner as the camera of the videotape zoomed out a little. It was one of the gunmen unmasking himself. It was the one with the word 'RAGE' on his vest. My eyes widened. Ben was the one with 'RAGE'.

My eyes softened as I saw Ben take off his mask and sit down, burying his face in his palms and trembling a bit. He was obviously wracked with guilt at what he done. I smiled sadly, proud that my cousin had morality, unlike his comrades. Just then, my eyes widened again when I saw someone else approach Ben.

I knew that other person. There was no mistaking that messy green hair.

* * *

**A/N:** ... ... ... ... ...

...

...

...

...

...

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

_**AuthorD [Glad you're still confused!]**_

_**EternalxNightxWalker [The 'Before' part is an indication that the events happened PRIOR to the massacre.]**_

_**shadowayn**_

_**emico997 [Wow, you must've been shocked there.]**_

_**TheNargana**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z [This is next.]**_

_**Proxus [I will, just be patient. PLEASE.]**_

_**humanusscriptor [Well, you'll see about that soon.]**_

_**MonkeyLover422 (guest reviewer) [It's okay. **_**:)_]_**

_**bookwrm23**_

_**sonicboy678 [Indeed.]**_

_**WinnieCocoaFlip [Glad you love the story so much that you put aside homework! No, it's not Django, just a random citizen that won't appear again. In fact, I was indicating that this citizen was shot. Guess you didn't catch it. And I'll show how Ferb survived the shooting soon. And look, I made the Fireside Girls appear again! Thanks for the review!]**_

_**person124 [The fifth shooter ISN'T Nancy's son. He died a year prior to the story committing that (fictional) school shooting in Louisiana.]**_

_**random guy (guest reviewer) [I already have.]**_

_**The Magic Catgirl**_

_**Gudu (guest reviewer)**_

As you already know, this country has had to suffer yet another tragedy, probably the worst ever since 9/11. 26 people were killed at a Connecticut elementary school, 20 of them innocent children under the age of ten. Let us pray for the victims and have them be engraved in our hearts forever. Oh, and let's express our hopes that the gunman's having the time of his life a special section of Hell, just for him, so he can rot extra-badly. BURN! BURN, BURN, **BURN**!

A grief-stricken TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD AND CONNECTICUT!


	33. Before: The Blackmail

**A/N:** 600 REVIEWS, BABY! I know I've said this a couple of times before, but I just can't believe this story's gotten so popular, despite the dark subject material that is still an ongoing issue in the world. And in wake of the spike in mass shootings, especially the Oregon mall and Connecticut school shootings, I would like to say that I am NOT LIABLE for any of the violence that occurs because they just read this fic piece. Not saying that that will happen, but just in case... Anyway, this story is NOT meant to inspire new generations of crazed, gun-toting maniacs! It's meant to address a little issue here!

Before we begin, I'd like to take a moment to name the victims of the Oregon mall and Connecticut school shootings. Everyone remembers the names of the killers, but never the names of the victims. It's just so tragic and SO GODDAMN STUPID!

The Oregon mall shooting victims:

-Steven Forsyth  
-Cindy Ann Yuille

The Connecticut school shooting victims:

-Charlotte Bacon  
-Daniel Barden  
-Rachel D'Avino  
-Olivia Engel  
-Josephine Gay  
-Dawn Hochsprung  
-Dylan Hockley  
-Madeleine Hsu  
-Catherine Hubbard  
-Chase Kowalski  
-Nancy Lanza  
-Jesse Lewis  
-Ana Marquez-Greene  
-James Mattioli  
-Grace McDonnell  
-Anne Marie Murphy  
-Emilie Parker  
-Jack Pinto  
-Noah Pozner  
-Caroline Previdi  
-Jessica Rekos  
-Avielle Richman  
-Lauren Rousseau  
-Mary Sherlach  
-Victoria Soto  
-Benjamin Wheeler  
-Allison Wyatt

In a three-day span, 29 new stars filled the skies. May we honor these victims of senseless cruelty forever.

And with all due respect to the victims and their grieving families... ENJOY!

* * *

_**Sweetwater Camera POV  
****March 13, 2015  
12:49:40 P.M.  
4 months, 3 days prior to the massacre**_

_(begin videotape. An unknown person is recording Adyson, Isabella, and the other Fireside Girls in Isabella's bedroom, through a gap in the nearly-closed door)_

**Isabella:** _(sobbing)_ I can't believe Phineas didn't notice me in that dress! I just can't believe it... _(breaks down in tears)_

**Gretchen:** There, there, it's okay, Izzie. Phineas will notice you one day.

**Isabella:** But how long will I have to wait until that day comes?! Huh?! A day, a week, a month, a year, a..._decade_? A _century_? In the next _lifetime_?...

**Adyson:** Stop overreacting, Isabella. I just _know_ Phineas will catch on and return your feelings-

**Isabella:** But in the meantime, I'm just left to toil in my own misery as he continues to ignore me...

**Ginger:** Stop beating yourself up over this, girl-

**Isabella:** Oh, look who's talking! You've got a goddamn crazy crush on Baljeet, but he's now dating Wendy!

**Ginger:** Hey, don't throw me under the bus now, Izzie!

**Katie:** Guys, guys, guys, settle down! Bickering isn't gonna take this matter anywhere! Izzie, I think it's probably time to tell Phineas the truth head-on.

**Isabella:** I can't! What if he laughs at me, or rejects me?

**Milly:** _(sighing)_ Then we'll be there to beat him up. Trust me, Izzie, there's NO WAY Phineas is gonna reject you. You're his best friend; the two of you have done everything together. Build a rollercoaster, become a one-hit wonder, travel back in time, fight aliens, do something that I've forgotten about for some reason... Surely, Phineas has gotta know this. And if he doesn't, then he's just plain hopeless.

**Adyson:** So what, Isabella? Will you confess your feelings to Phineas?

**Isabella:** I...I...I just _can't_...

**Adyson:** Well, fine with us. But remember, you've got a lotta misery to toil in then...

_(the recorder coughs)_

**Holly:** What was that?

**Ginger:** Sounds like it's outside your bedroom, Izzie.

**Adyson:** I'll check it out. _(doors open)_ Joyce, what're you doing here? And why are you using my camera?

**Joyce:** Hi, Addie. I know how to solve your problem, Isabella!

**Isabella:** _(bitterly)_ Yeah? What's that?

**Joyce:** Simple! _(makes overemphasizing gestures with hands)_ Just take one of those plastic plate thingies, write 'I like you, Phineas!' on it, and decorate it with macaroni and fancy glitter and stuff to make it look pretty and stuff! He'll love it!

**Isabella:** _(giggling a bit)_ Thanks for the suggestion, Joyce.

**Adyson:** Hey, let's say we design that, Izzie? You can help, Joyce.

**Joyce:** YAY! Decorating time!

**Adyson:** Just turn off that camera, will you? And I'll have a little talk with you about your eavesdropping feat.

**Joyce:** _(disappointed)_ Oh...

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**_Radeson Camera POV  
12:49:40 P.M._**

_(begin videotape. Andrew is recording himself, Gabriel, Tyler, and Ben in Tyler's living room)_

**Andrew:** Alright, Ben, we need to talk.

**Ben:** About what? And why're you recording this?

**Andrew:** I have my reason, which I'll tell you pretty soon. In the meantime, I wanna discuss about our newest recruit.

**Ben:** You mean-

**Gabriel:** Don't say his name! He's in the same house as us! We don't wanna attract his attention if we say his name.

**Ben:** Um..._okay_. What about him?

**Tyler:** We don't like him. He keeps thinking we're planning some harmless prank. It's been almost a month and we see no indication of him being in it for the killing.

**Ben:** He told me he wanted to even things up for himself. Rebel a bit. Cool himself down. That sorta stuff.

**Tyler:** You say 'cool himself down' like it's a good thing. That's _exactly_ what worries us, Ben. He's no anarchist like us. He's just a jealous little brat who wants to see his goddamn brother sopping wet, not everyone dead!

_(silence)_

**Ben:** Okay, you've got a point. What do you think we should do with him?

**Gabriel:** He's a loose end. He's seen too much, even if he thinks too little of it. And like all loose ends, he must be _eliminated_.

**Ben:** WHAT?! We can't KILL Ferb! He's been like a _brother_ to me!

**Tyler:** What about _us_, man? Aren't _we_ your brothers too?

**Ben:** Yes, but-

**Andrew:** And this brings us back to why I'm recording this. Gabriel... _(snaps fingers)_

_(Gabriel nods, stands up, and punches Ben)_

**Ben:** OW! WHAT THE HELL, MAN?!

_(Gabriel proceeds to beat Ben up for a few minutes, while Tyler watches, cringing a bit)_

**Andrew:** Enough, Gabriel.

_(Gabriel stops, and Andrew approaches a fallen, beaten Ben)_

**Andrew:** You know, Ben, the three of us have been worried about you too, lately. You seemed very..._distant_ during our planning. We were very curious about that. So, Gabriel did some investigating and found _this_ video, which was recorded before you and Tyler met us. _(focuses on Gabriel, who was manning a laptop)_ Play it, man._  
_

_(Gabriel nods and presses a button on the website he was on. The video plays on the laptop's screen; it is dated December 31, 2014 and shows Ben monologuing)_

**Ben:** _(via videotape)_ Alright, it appears that my motivation to commit my little..._project_ with Tyler has become compromised. My goddamn feelings about my own cousin is wracking my guilt, and every day that passes feels more enjoyable than the last. Every time I'm with..._her_...I feel much more better about myself. But I'm still angry at the world for all of its flaws, all of its wrongdoings.

And besides, I'm most ticked at the whole rule about incest and how taboo it is. I mean, what the hell's wrong with liking, even loving your own cousin, or even your own sibling, for that matter? Or your parent or any other relative? It's just a stupid crush, like any other, and it's nothing to be all concerned about! I've come to accept these feelings and enjoy them, no matter how sick they seem. Adyson makes me feel better about myself and I've got a good reason to like her! And sometimes, I think she _likes_ me back. I hope that happens. Hell, I hope for lots of things, but what I hope the most is Adyson's love. Not love as a cousin, but...something _more_...

_(sighs dreamily)_

_(The real Ben gasps, then gulps nervously)_

**Ben:** Okay, so I had a crush on my cousin. But that all ended when she rejected me at that Valentine's Day party.

**Andrew:** Maybe so, but we're not taking any chances. If you don't get rid of Fletcher, then not only are we going after your pretty little cousin, but we're spilling the beans about your feelings for her.

**Ben:** She'll never believe you!

**Gabriel:** Oh, really? _(points at the videotape, to which Ben gulps)_

**Ben:** Fine, I'll...I'll _kill_ Ferb. ...Wait a minute, why me? Aren't you gonna help me out?

**Andrew:** It's not only Fletcher's punishment, but yours, as long as your in deep with the rest of us in our Force of Four project. That's why we're recording the video here, as a reminder and a punishment for you.

**Ben:** You know, people will instantly know Ferb's gone missing, and when the police consider us as suspects, that project's as good as dead.

**Andrew:** _(smiling)_ Hey, don't worry about it. We've got instructions for you on how to carry out the perfect crime...

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**A/N:** Ferb's the fifth shooter? WTF?!

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (not answering reviews right now, sorry):

_**WinnieCocoaFlip**_

_**Comment person**_

_**dixicorn**_

_**shadowayn**_

_**Galaxina-the-Seedrian**_

_**humanusscriptor**_

_**AuthorD**_

_**MsAmiClassified**_

_**Out with a Whoosh and a Thunk**_

_**sonicboy678**_

_**Kitty O**_

_**TheNargana**_

_**person124**_

_**MonkeyLover422**_

_**EternalxNightxWalker**_

_**random guy (guest reviewer)**_

_**Flying Liberty**_

_**agent josie**_

_**The Magic Catgirl**_

_**Proxus**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z**_

_**Magisking122 (guest reviewer)**_

Before I make my leave, I want to announce to everyone that I have a new story planned. It is my first crossover, between "Phineas and Ferb" with another Disney cartoon that I've fallen in love with: "Gravity Falls". It will be a two-part fic, with the first story being set in "Gravity Falls" and the next one taking place at good ol' Danville. Trust me, it's gonna be epic. Random fact here: I attempted to make a standalone "Gravity Falls" fic, but schedule complications forced me to delete it.

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	34. After: Awakening

**_Unknown POV  
_****_Unknown date_**

W-Where _am_ I?

My eyes fluttered open, and I found myself in a hospital room. I was dressed in a hospital gown, and the continuous beeping of the heart-monitor device strapped to me continued to ring in my ears. For some reason, my head felt..._hollow_. As if some supernatural force had absorbed all of my memories out of my brain...

Actually, that's appropriate. I mean, I don't know who I am.

* * *

**A/N:** How's THIS for a short chapter, let alone a return from yours truly? Guess who this mystery person is. Those who guess correctly are granted a cyber cookie!

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

_**TheNargana [Well, you'll see about that.]**_

_**WinnieCocoaFlip [Yes, you should've. I'm glad that came as a shocker to you. And yes, I'm that sadistic. **_**:D_]_**

**_MonkeyLover422 [Don't you worry, man! Ferb doesn't die, I think I've told everyone that a hundred times.]_**

**_Vertical Fall (guest reviewer) [All will be revealed as the story continues its progression.]_**

**_shadowayn [Like I said, all will be eventually explained...]_**

**_person124_**

**_Robot Wolf 26Z_**

**_Pro-Liberty (guest reviewer) [That argumentative piece has been held in my mind for a while. Yes, gun control is NOT the solution. People can find other ways to kill other people. Besides, it is completely possible for people to make their own guns. Seriously.]_**

**_AuthorD_**

**_random guy (guest reviewer) [I'm glad I broke your jaw. _XD _Hope the surgery did wonders.]_**

**_Flying Liberty_**

**_bookwrm23_**

**_sonicboy678_**

**_EternalxNightxWalker_**

**_mystery girl234 [I'm glad you're loving this fic. It is my mission to give everyone a pleasurable reading experience.]_**

**_humanusscriptor [I think I might've PM-med you about your review already, but just in case, I have been considering one of your options.]_**

**_Michi41 [Hey, I'm glad you stumbled onto this! You are forgiven for missing out.]_**

**_The Magic Catgirl_**

**_Hard Coaster (guest reviewer)_**

**_Proxus (guest reviewer; I know you're not logged in, but it's a compulsion of mine!)_**

**_I love Neville [It's awesome to be right, isn't it? Then again, I don't think you'd wanna be right about something like that revelation...]_**

**_Galaxina-the-Seedrian_**

Before I conclude, I wanna announce to everyone that the P&F/GF crossover I announced in the last chapter is still going underway. I am currently having some creative difficulties in finding a good story, because that particular crossover community is flooding with stories and I need it to be unique. Otherwise, it'll look like the others, which is not my intention. I know everyone's been psyched for it and you're all still waiting, but give me some more time on finding a perfect premise.

On a more positive note, my mind is being bothered with an idea of another story, which involves a little something I unluckily stumbled onto YouTube. I will not tell you what it is, but I WILL tell you that it has now left me looking over my shoulder all night and day. Believe me, it's SOMETHING AWFUL. This new idea of mine is gonna be kept under the wraps, and you will all have to guess whatever the premise is until I finally post it. So yeah, expect something new from me.

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	35. Before: Ben's Confession

**A/N:** Alright, everyone, quick announcement! This nightmarish story's almost over! We've only got 5-10 more chapters left. There's only a couple more things to resolve before the final conclusion: Ferb's involvement in the massacre in the After chapters, and Ben's emotions in the days preceding the massacre in the Before chapters. And after that, you'll be saying sayonara to this story!

After all this time, I am SO surprised how far this story's gotten. 657 reviews, 45 favorites, 58 followers, and tens of thousands of viewers, numbers that stand in the wake of six mass shootings that occurred during the progress of the story... Seriously, I'm very glad you have all been brave enough to follow this story to the very end, despite all of the carnage and bloodshed that has happened last year. FYI, I am reading an article on mass shootings that occurred last year, and you seriously DO NOT want to know the statistics. 2012 may not have been the magic apocalypse year, but we lost a lot of innocent lives to crazed gunmen. Makes one wonder if the world has actually ended, with everyone slipping away into the grip of insanity and murderous desires...

Okay, I'm rambling on a somber tone. On with the story! ENJOY! If you can...

* * *

**_Sweetwater Camera POV  
April 30, 2015  
04:39:10 P.M.  
2 months, 18 days prior to the massacre_**

_(begin videotape. Adyson is recording herself, Ben, and Ferb)_

**Adyson:** Hey, guys! Ferb, where's Phineas?

**Ferb:** Buying more construction materials.

**Adyson:** Oh, really? You know, I really wonder why you guys haven't run out of ideas yet! Every time it seems that you guys have thought of everything, and yet, a new idea suddenly pops up in your minds!

_(Ferb mumbles something)_

**Adyson:** What was that, Ferb?

**Ferb:** _(quickly)_ Nothing, nothing!

_(Adyson aims the camera at Ben)_

**Adyson:** Hi, Ben! What's up with you?

**Ben:** Nothing.

**Adyson:** Jeez, what is this, Nothing Day? You guys gotta give me a better response than 'nothing', you know.

_(Ben scoffs, just as Adyson's cell phone rings)_

**Adyson:** Huh? ...Oh, excuse me, I gotta take this. _(giggles and sets down the camera before leaving the room)_

_(cut)_

**Ferb:** How is it, Ben?

**Ben:** From the looks of it, Andrew's still buying the bloodied T-shirt you loaned me. So far, you're good.

**Ferb:** I can't believe they wanna do that to me, beating me up. It was just a prank we were dealing with. But I'm glad you covered for me, dude. Thanks.

**Ben:** Yeah, no problem.

**Adyson:** _(off-screen)_ WHAT?! OMG, really? _(squeals)_ Of _course_ I will, Django! When? Where?

_(Ben growls angrily)_

**Ferb:** You're still crazy about Addie, huh?

**Ben:** Being around her all the time eats me up. It's torture, I swear! _(sighs)_ It's SO hard to be me!

**Ferb:** You think your situation's a workload? Look at what I have to deal with!

**Ben:** Ferb, being jealous of your brother is NOTHING like loving your own cousin. ROMANTICALLY!

_(cut to Adyson running back into the room and picking up the camera)_

**Adyson:** Guess what, guys?

**Ben:** _(sarcastically feigning curiosity)_ What, Addie?

**Adyson:** Django asked me out on A DATE! _(squeals)_ Oh, I gotta tell the other girls about this! _(starts dialing cell phone)_

**Ben:** Addie, why do you _like_ Django?

_(Ferb notices the cue, stands up, and leaves)_

**Adyson:** Well, ever since I first saw him in kindergarten, I thought he was the cutest thing ever, and I had a crush on him ever since! _(squeals again)_

**Ben:** What's he ever done to _you_ to show his love for you?

**Adyson:** Um, he danced with me during Katie's Valentine's Day party, that's what he did.

**Ben:** Anything _else_ in particular?

**Adyson:** He admires my art, despite the fact that it's obviously terrible. ...Ben, why're you so hostile towards Django? He's done nothing to you.

**Ben:** I just...I just don't _like_ him.

**Adyson:** Ben, you worry me. You're just like your previous self, before you went to the mental health facility. If there's anything wrong, please tell me.

**Ben:** Nothing's wrong with me, all right?!

_(silence)_

_(cut)_

**Adyson:** I think I know the problem.

**Ben:** What? You do?

**Adyson:** Yep. I think you need a girlfriend.

_(Ben blushes, but Adyson doesn't notice)_

**Adyson:** I'm gonna call Katie, see if we can start with her.

_(Ben's skin pales)_

_(cut to Adyson setting the camera down and taking out her cell phone)_

**Ben:** Um, you don't need to do that, Addie.

**Adyson:** But everyone else we know has a boyfriend or girlfriend. Well, except for Phineas, Isabella, and Katie. But we all know Phinabella shall triumph, so let's start with Katie. Come on, Ben, maybe you need someone to love you.

**Ben:** I've already got someone who loves me.

**Adyson:** Really? Who's that?

**Ben:** You, of course!

**Adyson: **Aw, that's sweet, Ben! But I'm talking of a more _serious_ love. _Romantic_ love. _(starts dialing a number, but Ben suddenly shuts off the cell phone)_

**Ben:** NO!

**Adyson:** _No_? What d'you mean 'no'?

**Ben:** _(blushing furiously)_ I...I...I-I...I...I, uh...I...

**Adyson:** Well, Ben? Spit it out already.

**Ben:** I...I... _(turns calm)_ DAMN IT!

_(Ben grabs Adyson and kisses her full on the mouth. Ferb watches, his skin paling, and he looks away.)_

**Ben:** _(parting with Adyson)_ I love you, Adyson.

_(silence. Adyson looks horrified; she drops her cell phone.)_

_(cut)_

**Ben:** Addie?

**Adyson:** Oh my God...oh my _God_... _(touches her lips) Ben_...

**Ben:** I've always loved you, Addie-

**Adyson:** AGH! GET AWAY FROM ME, BEN! MY **GOD**!

_(Adyson runs off)_

**Ben:** No, Addie!

_(Ben follows her, knocking the camera off the table in the process and shutting it off)_

* * *

**A/N:** And Ben's officially screwed himself over.

I wanna announce that I, TheCartoonFanatic01, have formulated yet another idea for a story, and this time, it's something I am very willing to follow. It is a story with Django as the protagonist, Adyson as a supporting character, DjangoxAdyson as the main couple, and (surprise, surprise!) my OCs Ben and Joyce Sweetwater will be featured as supporting characters! However, this new story isn't in the same universe as "Midsummer Tragedy", so the newest interpretations of Ben and Joyce are gonna be drastically changed to fit the needs of the story. For one thing, Ben isn't mentally unstable in the newest fic, and he definitely doesn't have an incestuous crush on Adyson. What is your view on the upcoming story?

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

_**bookwrm23 [You'll see if it's Ferb or not...]**_

_**shadowayn [Yes, yes it was. The shorter, the merrier to shock you with.]**_

_**Michi41 [You'll see...]**_

_**MonkeyLover422 [Or it could be neither... **_**;)_]_**

**_Robot Wolf 26Z_**

**_Kitty O_**

**_Da Darkest Knight [Phineas already stopped playing that game, just so you know.]_**

**_Jackatlasfan9999 [Maybe it's Ferb, maybe it's not...]_**

**_TheNargana [No, it's NOT gonna be 200 chapters. Probably around 40 chapters or so.]_**

**_DizzyPirate [My, what a long review! And a very descriptive one at that! I LOVE descriptive reviews! Thanks for the review!]_**

**_Flying Liberty [Fun, eh?]_**

**_random guy (guest reviewer) [Ben? ...Well, that's the strangest guess I've gotten all day, but if you say so... _;)_]_**

**_WinnieCocoaFlip_**

**_Shadow5550_**

**_Comment person [Maybe, maybe not...]_**

**_Grimbeeper (guest reviewer) [*push* _XD_]_**

**_Vertical Fall_**

**_MsAmiClassified [Hey, you actually noticed that Ferb thought it would be a prank! I congratulate you! Cyber-cookies for you!]_**

**_PxIforever101 (guest reviewer) [Maybe, maybe not...]_**

**_humanusscriptor_**

**_Hard Coaster [Here's the update you wanted! Hopefully you've enjoyed it thoroughly.]_**

**_emico997 [Ferb, obviously obvious. Isabella, yes she died. Ben, maybe. Man, I love torturing you guys with these questions! _:D_]_**

**_AuthorD_**

**_Strawberry Song (guest reviewer)_**

**_Guest proxus (guest reviewer)_**

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	36. Prologue: Part III

**A/N:** Yes, people, I'm alive. And I'm back with a new chapter for this amazing story!

Before we begin, I wanna announce that this is the beginning of another part for the story, Part III, which will deal with what secrets Ferb is hiding underneath his now-amnesiac mind, and also that rather icky ending that finished off the previous chapter. It has skipped ahead several months, and now it's summer again, almost close to the first anniversary of the Mid-Summer's Festival massacre. No more alternating Before or After sections here.

ENJOY!

* * *

_**June 22, 2016  
****25 days**_

"Ferb, do you remember me?" Phineas asked again.

Ferb just blinked and then replied, "No, I can't. Who are you?"

Phineas sighed with defeat and looked at Anabel, Candace, and Lawrence sadly. It had been a few hours since Ferb had recovered from his coma, only to exhibit each and every known symptom of complete amnesia. The doctors confirmed that it was because of the six gunshot wounds he sustained in the head during the shooting.

"Ferb, it's me, Dad," Lawrence said, sitting at his son's bedside. "You remember me, right?"

Ferb's eyes narrowed as he tried to focus his mind, but then, he just shook his head sadly.

"No, I don't. I'm sorry, uh, _Dad_..."

Lawrence flinched; Ferb said the last word uncomfortably, as he had never called his own father by that title, not even once in his life. Candace patted her stepfather's shoulder comfortingly, while Phineas hugged Anabel sadly. The four visitors had the same conclusion in mind.

This was not their Ferb.

* * *

Phineas stared longingly at the backyard tree, as if he were expecting the real Ferb to emerge out of it, saying that the Ferb in the hospital had been a clone this entire time and everything was gonna be all right. But alas, not even the bright, inventive geniuses that were Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher could escape the clutches of a horrible tragedy such as that of last year.

It had been a couple of months since the red-haired inventor was released from the mental hospital, deemed fit to walk among society again. Even now, he credited this miraculous, well-needed success to Anabel, whose family decided to stay in Danville to assist Isabella's mother as she dealt with the preparations of a planned memorial for the 37 victims. Ever since Phineas was discharged, he started hanging out with Anabel, and a couple of weeks ago, the two were officially dating.

However, not even a new girlfriend could alleviate the inventor's hopes that things would be back to normal. The pain was still there, incapable of vanishing completely.

Just then, the wooden fence door opened, and in came Buford, Baljeet, Adyson, Django, the other Fireside Girls, and Irving.

"Hey, Dinner Bell!" Buford called, rolling his wheelchair towards Phineas, a large grin of excitement plastered on his face. "I heard Ferb's gotten out of his coma!"

"Can we go inside and see him?" asked Gretchen hopefully.

"Go ahead, but that won't help anyone right now," Phineas replied sadly.

"Why is that?" Baljeet asked.

"He's lost his memory. All of it."

The responses came all at once.

"WHAT?!"

"No freakin' WAY!"

"That can't be possible!"

"Is there anything we can _do_?"

"No, there's nothing that can be done, not right now," replied Phineas. "You can try and stir his memory, but no methods have been working so far, so you will most likely get nothing out of him."

Everyone but Buford, Adyson, and Django went inside the house, leaving the four teenagers in the backyard. A cold breeze swept over them, blowing at the green blades of grass and creating some rustling rustling noises from the backyard tree. The group of four looked up morosely at the tree as yellow and brown leaves fell from its many branches, gliding along with the blowing air with some sad grace.

"I can't believe it's almost gonna be one year from...that day..." Adyson finally remarked.

"It still feels like yesterday," replied Phineas.

"Yeah. For all of us," Django added with agreement.

"Well, what can we do now?" asked Buford. "It's already been done. All we can do now is pray to God and ask him that he watch our loved ones dearly."

Phineas, Adyson, and Django all smiled sadly. Just before Christmas of last year, Buford started taking religion more seriously, attending the Mass more frequently, reading the Bible in his spare time, and, in a new trademark of his, looking at a newly-purchased necklace of a Christian cross like it was his savior. They were proud of the former bully for changing his ways for the better, though they were also sad to know that he had to lose his ability to walk in order to gain it.

The four then watched as a hatch in the backyard tree opened, and out popped Perry. Ever since the platypus had revealed his secret identity to the Flynn-Fletcher family, having to sneak away every day was no longer an issue, for the children knew where the not-so-secret agent wandered off to.

"Oh, there you are, Perry," Phineas said, still not letting go out of that catchphrase. "How are things going at OWCA?"

"It's a slow but steady progress," replied Perry, using an animal translator Phineas invented for him. "The government is now reforming the OWCA structure and hiring new people to fill the vacant positions. I have a new superior named Major Morrison. He's no Monogram, but he'll have to do."

"How're Monogram and Carl doing?"

"Well, they've actually been rehired by the OWCA, but Monogram's now, ironically, an intern, and Carl's now a full-time secretary. And don't worry, they are still keeping my resignation and revealing of my identity to you guys a secret. But enough of me, how're you guys holding up?"

"Ferb still doesn't remember anything. Doesn't Dr. Doofenshmirtz have any Inators that can restore memories?"

"Still working at it. In all of my years of experience in fighting the guy, I've never seen him working so slow. I think he's still adjusting to defecting back to OWCA."

Phineas sighed sadly. "So we're still getting nowhere." He walked up to the backyard tree, continuing to watch as leaves fell and was caught in the stream of wind. "I don't get it. Why did this have to happen to everyone? Everything's going well in our lives again, and yet, there's still scars from what happened last year. My mom's still dead, Izzie's still dead, Wendy's still dead, 34 others are still dead..." He turned back to Perry, Adyson, Buford, and Django. "It's just unfair."

"Well, it was bound to happen to us sooner or later," Adyson replied. "I mean, there hasn't been an incident like this in Danville's history, or that of the Tri-State Area for that matter. ...I guess Ben was right." She looked down to the ground, downcast. "We should've been more careful..."

"You're still thinking about him, huh?" Django asked.

"Not just about him, Django. I'm also thinking about Nancy, who died helping us uncover that police conspiracy. About all of Danville, who must brace for the first-ever anniversary of what happened. About Brett Wycker, who died just like Ben-" She suddenly broke off, and her face became pale.

"Addie? Is something wrong?" asked Phineas.

"Nothing...it's nothing..." she replied. "Excuse me, I gotta go somewhere..."

Without another word, Adyson left the backyard. Buford turned to Phineas and Django.

"What's with her?"

* * *

_..._

_"I love you, Adyson."_

_..._

_"Addie?"_

_"Oh my God...oh my _God_...Ben..."_

_"I've always loved you, Addie-"_

_"AGH! GET AWAY FROM ME, BEN! MY **GOD**!"_

_"No, Addie!"_

Adyson rewound the videotape she was playing on her laptop again and resumed watching it. While going through Ben's room, which the Sweetwater family kept intact in honor of him, she discovered several videotapes. Most of them involved the camera watching Adyson from a distance, but there were some in which Ben ranted about how rejected he felt due to his love for Adyson. Then, there was this particular videotape, which horrified Adyson beyond belief.

And it was mostly because she didn't remember it happening.

And now that she knew it happened, a new wave of guilt had swept over her for several weeks now.

Could she have prevented this?

Could she have told him she loved her too?

Could Ben have reconsidered his destructive, murderous ways, from that single confession?

Could the tragedy have been prevented?

Could everything be the way it should've been?

...

Could she have told Ben she _loved_ him?

Adyson had been thinking about it for a while now. Ever since they were little children, Ben had always protected her from her other jeering cousins. Whenever she had a problem, he was always there to solve it. For a while, she had a little _crush_ on him, but it was just childish and nothing more. By the time she was in her preteen years, she had already dropped the silly crush, though she still anticipated visits to her cousin.

Then, ever since Ben had to move in with her and her family, she felt closer to him. She thought those feelings were just because she was a concerned cousin, but after remembering the several times they walked, talked, and ate together, in the weeks preceding Ben's suicide, doubt over those feelings was at an all-time high. Adyson didn't know what to think of it.

_"I love you, Adyson."_

_"Addie?"_

_"Oh my God...oh my _God_...Ben..."_

_"I've always loved you, Addie-"_

_"AGH! GET AWAY FROM ME, BEN! MY **GOD**!"_

_"No, Addie!"_

Adyson rewound the tape again.

Could things have been different if she confessed?

...

Why _didn't_ she confess?

Was it disgust at the incestuous air? ...Or was it...something else...?

* * *

_"Ben, what're you _doing_?! ...Is _this _the prank?!"_

_"Go away, Ferb!"_

_"Ben, you've gotta stop this NOW!"_

_"NO! IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT! NOW GO AWAY!"  
_

_"Please, put down the guns and let's talk-"_

_"TO HELL WITH TALK! NOW GO AWAY, FERB!"_

_"Please, Ben..."_

_"DON'T MAKE ME SHOOT YOU, FERB!"_

_"Come on, Ben..."_

_"DON'T MAKE ME, FERB!"_

_"Please!"_

_"FERB, DON'T **MAKE ME**!"_

_"What would Adyson think?!"_

_The ear-shattering sound of gunfire pierced the air..._

Ferb sat up on his bed, gasping as if he had been submerged in water for a long period of time and his lungs were ready to explode from the deprivation of oxygen. The memories all suddenly washed away from his mind, but the impression of the event remained...

The green-haired teenager laid back down on his bed, wondering what had just happened to him. He then closed his eyes, reluctantly embracing the sandman again...

* * *

**A/N:** How's this for a prologue to the third and final part?

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (can't answer reviews right now, sorry):

_**bookwrm23**_

_**Robot Wolf 26Z**_

_**TheNargana**_

_**humanusscriptor**_

_**MonkeyLover422**_

_**random guy (guest reviewer)**_

_**Michi41**_

_**AuthorD**_

_**shadowayn**_

_**Proxus**_

_**The Magic Catgirl**_

_**Magisking122 (guest reviewer)**_

_**Flying Liberty**_

Jeez, what's with the reduction in reviews? Ah well, it's probably something temporary.

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	37. Memories Return

**A/N:** Jeez, I am so, so, SO SORRY for this long update! But here I am, well and alive, and with a new update! ENJOY!

* * *

Ferb panted, feeling the sweat drip down his chin as he ran with all of his strength across the Mid-Summer's Festival. Gunfire was erupting all around him, and he felt the shock-waves of a couple of explosions just a few minutes prior. Ever since the shooting started, he didn't keep track of Phineas or his friends; he just ran where his brain told him to go. But as the minutes ticked by slowly, the green-haired teenager began to regret his cowardly decision to run and not look back. Now, he didn't know what happened to his stepbrother or their friends. He prayed to the heavens that they were able to get out of the festival safely.

Speaking of which, he didn't have any luck trying to find a way out of the festival. The many tents and the continuous adrenaline made it hard to deduce a safe pathway. The gunfire that was hammering at all directions made it harder. He contemplated on hiding underneath a stall or inside a tent, but the explosions he heard extinguished any existing probabilities of survival in that decision. The only thing he needed to do to stay alive was run.

Ferb turned a corner.

And saw one of the shooters coming towards him.

_**BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!**_

Ferb closed his eyes as tightly as he could.

But he didn't feel any pain. He opened his eyes again and found himself sitting on the sofa of his living room.

Wait a minute..._his_ living room?

He glanced at the kitchen, where he found Candace washing the dishes in the kitchen as popping noises filled the air, noises coming from popcorn being made in the Flynn-Fletcher microwave.

"Candace?" he asked.

"Yes, Ferb?" Candace replied, not looking up from the dishes.

"I think I'm remembering something."

Candace nearly dropped the plate.

* * *

_**June 29, 2016  
18 days**_

Phineas was sitting under the backyard tree, pondering over the event that was to come upon the Tri-State Area in eighteen days. In just eighteen days, his mother, Isabella, Wendy, and 34 others would have been dead for a year, all at the hands of four maddened shooters. He honestly couldn't believe how slowly the year had gone by, and yet so much had happened in that year. Many broken spirits, many tears shed, a single community rocked to its core... Even now, he still couldn't believe that a tragedy with this magnitude had occurred at his home.

Just then, Candace burst into the backyard.

"PHINEAS!" she shouted.

"What, what?!" replied Phineas, startled.

"Ferb's starting to remember something!"

* * *

"Good job, Joyce!" Adyson exclaimed proudly. "You are now an honorary member of the Lil' Sparks! How do you feel?"

"Excited, Addie!" replied Joyce. "I can't wait till I do all the stuff you did!"

"Just know that when you have a problem, Joyce, just come to me. Learn from the master."

"Okay, Addie!"

"Alright, now have fun, Joyce!" Kathy said as Joyce skipped out of the front door, towards a bus with the Lil' Sparks logo on its side.

"I will, Mommy! Bye!" Joyce called back as she entered the bus. Kathy bit her lip as the bus drove away from the Sweetwater home, to which Randy placed a comforting hand around his wife's shoulder.

"She'll be fine," he said.

"Yeah, Mom," Adyson added. "She's in the best of hands."

"I know," replied Kathy. "I'm just...I'm just worried that some guy's gonna grab a gun and go after-"

"Kate, don't," Randy interrupted sternly. "Joyce will be fine."

Kathy nodded, still biting her lip, and she left the doorway, quickly followed by Randy, leaving Adyson alone at the doorstep. Sitting down, she glanced at the front yard, remembering all of the times she played with Joyce in that same area, ever since her sister was a baby. Joyce was growing up, one day at a time. It was a shame that she was exposed to the evils of the world a little too soon. Memories of Brett Wycker aiming a shotgun at them in the front yard suddenly flooded her mind...

Adyson buried her face in her palms. She remembered her kiss with Brett Wycker. She now knew she kissed him because he reminded her of Ben, the cousin she loved romantically and didn't know it.

Just then, she was abruptly pulled from her thoughts by the ringing of her cell phone. Adyson looked at it and saw that it was Katie calling. Pressing a button, she answered the call.

"Hey, girl," she greeted.

"Addie, get over to Phineas and Ferb's NOW!" Katie exclaimed. "Ferb's remembering something!"

* * *

"Hey, Wendy, honey," Baljeet said as he stood over his girlfriend's grave, holding a rose. "It's me again, Baljeet. Well, eighteen days to go. And you'll be dead for one year." He bit his lip, regretting making his latest statement before setting the rose against Wendy's gravestone. "Anyway, I got your necklace back. It's fully repaired now and all. It's as beautiful as it was when I gave it to you...on your birthday..." He stopped again, then said simply, "Well, that's all. I gotta go now. Love you."

Baljeet walked away, a bit hurriedly. Even if he got over his depression, he still felt shattered by his girlfriend's death, and he didn't know how to move on...

Just then, his cell phone rang; he had received a text message from Ginger.

_**"Get 2 P&F's. Ferb's remembring."**_

* * *

**A/N:** So, what exactly DOES Ferb remember? Find out on the next chapter!

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (can't answer reviews, sorry):

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Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	38. My Story: Ferb

**A/N:** Wow. I haven't updated in nearly a freaking MONTH. I am SO SORRY about the long wait. I was more focused on other stories during my absence. But while I was updating my Marie and Thomas story, I remembered this one and started working on this chapter right away. ENJOY!

* * *

_**June 29, 2016  
18 days**_

Adyson ran as fast as she could down Maple Drive, feeling sweat pour from her forehead and her heart hammering against her rib-cage like a creature desperate to burst out of her chest, like an Alien movie. Never before had she run so fast, not even during her days as a Fireside Girl. But she knew that she had to keep on going, knowing that whatever Ferb remembered about his experience at the Mid-Summer's Festival was crucial to her. She needed closure to Ben's death, as well as closure for all of the deaths that had occurred during and after the massacre, and she wasn't gonna let that opportunity escape her grasp, just when she had it so close.

Finally, after what had seemed like an eternity, she finally reached the Flynn-Fletcher house. Not only was it recognizable from her childhood, but Adyson knew it was the house because it was heavily surrounded by police officers and ever-ravenous news crews. She knew that someone had let it slip that a survivor of the festival shooting could possibly remember vital information about what had happened.

Pushing her way through the crowd of reporters, ignoring the questions they started directing at her, Adyson tried to run into the house, but her pathway was blocked by two police officers. "Sorry, ma'am," one of them said, "but you aren't permitted to access this house."

"Says who?" replied Adyson angrily. After her previous experience with the police department last year, she couldn't trust cops anymore.

Before the scene could turn uglier than it already was, someone shouted, "It's okay! She's with me!"

"Huh? Oh, okay, sure..." the other officer stammered as he allowed Adyson to get through, and at the front door, she saw Phineas standing at the doorway.

"I'm glad that you could make it, Addie," he said. "Ferb finally has his memories back, and he wants to share it with the gang. ...Are you sure you wanna hear this?"

"_Yes_. I WANT to. I need closure."

Taken aback by Adyson's stern tone, Phineas nodded with understanding, and the teenagers walked into the house. There, they found Lawrence, Candace, Anabel, Baljeet, Buford, Django, Irving, and the Fireside Girls, all of whom were encircled around Ferb.

"All right, bro," Phineas addressed to Ferb, "Adyson's here. What exactly do you remember about the shooting?"

Ferb looked at his visitors cautiously, a spark of fear present in his eyes. It was an unusual sight, as everyone knew Ferb Fletcher as Phineas Flynn's emotionless man-of-action companion. However, Lawrence knelt down beside his son and took his hand.

"It's okay, son," he said reassuringly.

Ferb stared into his father's eyes and, identifying the honesty and compassion, nodded and began his story.

* * *

_**July 16, 2015  
Ferb's POV**_

I panted, feeling the sweat drip down his chin as he ran with all of his strength across the Mid-Summer's Festival. Gunfire was erupting all around me, and I felt the shock-waves of a couple of explosions just a few minutes prior. Ever since the shooting started, I didn't keep track of Phineas or our friends; I just ran where my brain told me to go. But as the minutes ticked by slowly, I began to regret my cowardly decision to run and not look back. Now, I didn't know what happened to my brother or their friends. I prayed to the heavens that they were able to get out of the festival safely.

Unfortunately, I didn't have any luck trying to find a way out of the festival. The many tents and the continuous adrenaline made it hard to deduce a safe pathway. The gunfire that was hammering at all directions made it harder. I contemplated on hiding underneath a stall or inside a tent, but the explosions I heard extinguished any existing probabilities of survival in that decision. The only thing I needed to do to stay alive was run.

So, I turned a corner.

And saw one of the shooters coming towards him.

Fortunately, the shooter didn't seem to notice me; instead, he was looking around frantically as fires raged around the two of them, and screams of fear and terror pierced the air. Frozen, paralyzed in fear, I watched as the shooter, who had the word 'RAGE' printed on his vest, leaned against the stall, looked up into the sky, and then slid down to the ground, as if all life left him.

The shooter was still for a few minutes, and finally, with an angered grunt, he tossed away his rifle, then the shotgun that was slung over his back, and then a total of six pistols that he had been carrying in holsters and homemade pockets. He then started removing his clothing. Fearing the worst, I charily took a few steps forward towards the shooter, and then I stopped in my tracks when the attacker took off his helmet and threw it away, like it was a creature attempting to bite his head off. I gasped, for I knew who it was.

It was _Ben_.

"_Ben_?" I called in shock.

Ben looked up at me, but he didn't look surprised. When he failed to address him, I continued.

"Ben, what're you _doing_?!" Suddenly, realization hit me like a lightning bolt. He remembered Ben telling him that he and his friends were gonna play a serious prank in which people would believe they were being attacked by terrorists, complete with fake weapons and homemade body-armor suits... "...Is _this_ the prank?!"

"Go away, Ferb!" Ben shouted furiously, his eyes wide.

"Ben, you've gotta stop this NOW!"

Ben suddenly stood up, took out from under his pockets two revolvers, and aimed them at me. "NO!" he roared. "IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT! NOW GO AWAY!"

I took a step back, but I maintained his composure. "Please, put down the guns and let's talk-"

"TO HELL WITH TALK!" interrupted Ben, his hair flying wildly as he spoke. "NOW GO AWAY, FERB!"

"Please, Ben..."

"DON'T MAKE ME SHOOT YOU, FERB!"

Ben turned off the safety positions of the revolvers to prove his point. However, I was determined to not give up.

"Come on, Ben..."

"DON'T MAKE ME, FERB!"

"Please!"

"FERB, DON'T **MAKE ME**!"

"What would Adyson think?!"

The ear-shattering sound of gunfire pierced the air...

But it wasn't from Ben. A few yards away, one of the other shooters was evidently stalking down more attendants; screams could be heard, only to be cut short by the endless barrage of automatic gunfire. Another explosion ripped through a tent in the distance, while a news helicopter flew overhead.

I noticed that Ben's hands had started trembling, and he dropped the guns.

"She would be disappointed..." he whispered.

"She _trusted_ you, Ben!" I exclaimed. "She thought you've changed your ways for the better! ...Everyone did! But maybe if you give up, if you surrender willingly to the police, there'll still be a shred of trust in you residing in her heart. You know why?"

"Why?"

"'Cause she loves you, and you love her."

"THAT'S A LIE!" Ben shouted. "She _rejected_ me... No matter what, she'll _never_ forgive me..."

"That's not true! She still cares for you! She...she _loves _you back!"

Ben's eyes widened in surprise. "What?!"

I hesitated cautiously. I knew I was telling a lie, but I also knew that Ben had officially gone off the deep end, and that there was only one option to bring him back from the brink of oblivion, so I resumed speaking, with all of the determination and honesty I could muster.

"After you kissed her, and she ran away from you, I caught up with her. We talked, and she realized that after all of this time, she had _always_ loved you. From day one. She was just too ashamed to tell you, so she repressed these feelings...until now. Adyson loves you, Ben."

Despite the loud noises that were going on, a sphere of silence had encompassed us.

Finally, Ben smiled and started laughing softly. "She _loves_ me..." he whispered.

"So, will you surrender?" I asked.

Before he could respond, I heard someone calling out, "BEN?! BEN, WHERE ARE YA?!"

Then, another shooter came into the fray. 'ANARCHY' was written on his vest. He instantly spotted us.

"Ben, why the FUCK are you undressed?!" he demanded. "And is that fucking _Fletcher_?!"

Another lie exposed. But I didn't have time to brood on that, for he raised his gun, a weird-looking one, and aimed it at me.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to finish the job!"

I braced myself for death, but after a few seconds, nothing happened. I could only hear a clicking sound. He had run out of ammunition.

"RUN!" Ben ordered.

I wasted no time in running down a pathway; I could hear Ben's footsteps behind me. Finally, after a minute passed, I heard gunfire; the shooter had reloaded and started firing at us. I looked back and saw Ben behind me. I looked at my front and saw that the pathway we were running down had a long distance, but the exit was just ahead. It was like a nightmare; I was running for the faraway exit while the monster was close behind.

Several gunshots rang in the air, and I heard Ben cry out in pain. I stopped and looked back; he had collapsed on the ground, blood flowing from his back. I looked from the exit to his fallen body, and I realized that while Ben had done a terrible deed, he didn't deserve death, through his present desire to seek forgiveness. So, I abandoned my attempt to escape and ran back for him. All the while, I saw the shooter trying to reload his gun, but he accidentally dropped his drum magazine.

I ran up to his body and tried dragging it, but I heard Ben moan, "No..."

"Ben, I'm NOT leaving you!" I shouted as I knelt down and turned him over so I can look at his face.

"No...you run..."

"Come on, Ben, you're gonna see Addie again! Just let me help you!"

"It's...It's okay...Ferb..." he replied softly. There was a smile on his face. "...I...I know you..._lied_. But it's...okay. I d-deserved...this... Thank you... Now..._run_..."

I watch the life fade from his eyes like a disappearing star, and my heart seemed to stop. I stood in this position, frozen, looking into Ben's dead eyes, brooding over whether or not I, or anyone else, could have done _something_ to prevent, at the least, Ben's participation in this...

It was a bad move to make. I heard a loud clicking sound: the shooter had reloaded.

"Crap, I killed Ben," he was moaning. "Good God...ah well, I least I did the suicide favor for him." Finally, he registered me, and though he was wearing a ballistic mask, I could sense a sinister smile forming. "As for _you_, Fletcher...SAYONARA!"

Taking one last look at Ben's body, I stood up and ran as fast as I could. Time slowed down to almost a complete stop. For some reason, the exit seemed farther away than before. For the first time, I was actually _afraid_... I probably shouldn't have been scared.

For I felt his bullets strike me, followed split-seconds later by darkness.

* * *

_**Present day**_

Ferb concluded his story, leaving everyone shocked. It was silent in the room, until Phineas noticed a discrepancy in Ferb's story and decided to address it.

"Uh, Ferb?" he asked. "You said that you asked Ben if this was _the prank_." Fear crept into his stomach. "Did...did you _know_ something like that was gonna happen?"

Ferb's eyes widened. He had realized his mistake.

"Ferb?" Lawrence asked, horrified. "Ferb, look at me! Did you know this was gonna happen?!"

Sighing, Ferb looked at his father and replied, "Like I said, I thought it was gonna be a prank. They told me so. But...inside...I had a bad feeling... Yes, yes I did know." He sighed again. "As a matter of fact...I was nearly _a part of it_."

* * *

**A/N:** DUN DUN DUN! What'll happen next in the next chapter?!

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (can't answer reviews now):

**MonkeyLover422**

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TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	39. Four Visits

_**July 2, 2016  
**__**14 days**_

A deep, ominous ringing resonated through the visitors' room of the Tri-State Juvenile Correctional Penitentiary. This was quickly followed by a voice sounding through a speaker located at a corner of the room, which announced in a droning, male tone, "Visiting hours have begun. Remember, a maximum of three visitors per inmate."

Phineas, Lawrence, and Candace stood up from the sofa they were sitting on and followed several others into a room occupied by several underage offenders, all of them wearing orange prison clothing. Out of all of them, the three Flynn-Fletchers could easily recognize the crop of unkempt green hair and the cubical nose. Walking up to the inmate, the three continued to brood over varying thoughts, all of which revolved over a single theme: the disbelief that Ferb Fletcher had been sent to jail for his indirect participation in the Mid-Summer's Festival massacre just a couple of days ago.

"Hey, bro," greeted Phineas.

"Hey, bro," Ferb replied. "How're the others?"

"They're outside, waiting for their turn. None of them can still believe that the man-of-action had been sent here." Phineas frowned sadly. "I _still_ just cannot understand why you did it, Ferb. Why couldn't you have just told me about your feelings?"

"It's hard to admit one's jealousy to the source of said jealousy, Phineas. Believe me, you'd understand once you're in the position I was in."

"But to help a group of killers, son?" Lawrence asked. "How could you go so _low_?"

"I thought it'd be a prank, Dad. I thought the weapons were fake." Ferb sighed sadly before continuing. "Let's- can we just get onto a lighter subject, please? Phineas, how's Anabel? The relationship's going smoothly, I assume?"

Phineas nodded.

"How 'bout you, Candace? How's Jeremy? Is the long-distance relationship working out for you?"

"Yeah," replied Candace. "According to him, he's progressing well. Physical therapy in Florida's doing wonders for him. And I think I am actually having some progress of my own with my relationship with Suzy. Though it was more of a whisper, I am pretty confident she thanked me for being there for her brother when he got shot."

"That's good." Ferb smiled. "I'm glad to hear that everyone's doing okay."

"_I'm_ not!" Lawrence exclaimed. "Ferb, I can't _believe_ what you've done! Never have I imagined that my own _son_ is in JAIL! And for something so horrendous..."

"Dad, I never exactly _knew_ what those four were doing-"_  
_

"You should've known, son. You saw guns and bombs and body-armor suits...those were _warning signs_, son, and you _ignored_ them! 37 people are DEAD, Ferb!"

"Are you blaming me for their deaths, Dad?!" shouted Ferb, catching everyone else's attentions. "Are you blaming me for _Mom's _death?!"

Silence reigned in the room, and finally, Lawrence stood up and left the room. Ferb stared after the door longingly, to which Phineas spoke up.

"It's okay, Ferb. I know that deep inside, he forgives you. He's just...having a hard time, that's it."

Ferb sighed. "Tell me about it."

* * *

Adyson opened her eyes and saw herself standing on wooden steps, which were surrounded at both sides by evergreen shrubs holding gardenia flowers that were blooming one by one before her eyes. A strong but sweet scent was filling the air; she inhaled the smell and sighed with content. The teenager then looked back and saw that she seemed to be located miles high on some sort of mountain that was overlooking a sea of white gardenias. Though the sun was shining over a faraway set of mountains, a starry nighttime sky was above her. Despite the unnatural overlook of the environment, it was a beautiful sight.

Suddenly, to Adyson's horror, the sea of white was changing color, turning into a dry brown, and it was extending towards the mountain. Her gut filling with a terrible feeling, Adyson burst into a sprint up the stairs, just as she felt some sort of dust mingle with the beautifully sweet scent. She looked to her sides and saw that the gardenia flowers were withering and dying. Flakes of dried petals were filling the air, the stars in the sky were receding, and the sun was setting below the mountains.

As she continued running, Adyson could see the top of the mountain, and she could also see that someone was already up there, looking up at the sky longingly. His or her back was on her, so she couldn't see who it was.

Distracted by the person, Adyson didn't watch where she was going, and one of her feet suddenly tripped on a step, and she fell over. The teenager recovered quickly and tried to scramble up the stairs, but the dying gardenias and the darkness that was following it was catching up to her...

And all of a sudden, the stairs disappeared, and the teenager started sliding down the mountain and into the gaping jaws of the darkness...

"No, no, no, _no_, NO!" Adyson screamed repeatedly. "**NO!** SOMEONE HELP ME! HELP! **NOOOOO!**"

* * *

Adyson screamed, and her eyes opened. She quickly found herself in the visitors' room, surrounded by her friends.

"Addie?" Katie asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah...Just fine..." replied Adyson, but she was unsure if she actually fine emotionally.

For Adyson knew that dream; she had been having it for over a week now.

* * *

Examining the cemetery from above in the safety of his hover-car for any potential human witnesses, Perry soon cleared it of any danger and landed it under a tree. Hopping out, the platypus agent activated the car's invisibility shield before walking down several gravestones. He immediately saw Pinky sleeping silently by a certain gravestone; upon approaching his colleague, Perry read said gravestone.

_**Isabella Garcia-Shapiro  
****December 24, 1999 - July 16, 2015  
Beloved daughter and friend  
Rest in peace**_

"Pink?" Perry asked, nudging the Chihuahua with his foot. "Pink!"

Pinky yelped and hopped into the air, brandishing his fists. "Who? What? Let me at 'em!" exclaimed the dog in surprise. He then spotted Perry and smiled sheepishly. "Oh, hey Perry. Nice to, uh, see you at this time of day..."

The platypus slapped the dog. "Darn it, Pink! You nearly blew your cover!"

"How exactly, Perry? There's nothing wrong with a dog sleeping by its deceased owner's gravestone!"

"Maybe so, but you've still got your fedora on."

Pinky's smile widened and he growled nervously. "That is _correct_... At least no humans spotted me, right?"

"Not that I know of. I gotta get you outta here. Humans could be coming here at any moment..."

As the two agents ran over towards Perry's hover-car, Pinky asked, "What're you doing here anyway?"

"Admiral Acronym was calling you. She had a mission for you, but you weren't responding. My superior assigned me to find you, and I knew where to look."

Upon running up to the hover-car, Perry deactivated his hover-car's invisibility mechanism, and the two agents hopped into its seats. The platypus agent started the vehicle's engine and flew off into the sky, unnoticed to any human eyes.

Minutes later, a man wearing a large trench-coat and a hat with a brim that obscured his face approached Isabella's grave, and dropped off a rose.

* * *

**A/N:** I know, short chapter is short. But it sure gives more mysteries, doesn't it?

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (can't answer reviews right now):

**TheNargana**

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TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	40. Roses

**A/N:** Sorry for the long wait, folks! I was very busy with other stories, as you can all tell. But in the wake of last week's community college stabbings (fortunately, no one was killed) and today's marathon bombings (which couldn't just have the same luxury), I felt that it was time to update this story. I know, bad timing, very terrible, maybe even offensive. If anyone's offended by the timing, then I sincerely apologize.

**P.S.:** I deleted an announcement chapter, so your reviews are gonna have to be anonymous. Another sorry from me.

* * *

_**July 6, 2016  
****10 days**_

_"Leo D. Vynchee, you haven't been seen since last year, after your infamous interview about blaming the families of the Mid-Summer's Festival shooters. Tell me, what made you decide to come back, especially since it's gonna be ten days till the first anniversary of the massacre that rocked the nation to its core?"_

_"Well, after what has happened last year, the Danville Police Department cover-up conspiracy, the Brett Wycker killing spree, the fatal involvement of Nancy Bremington, the mother of the Louisiana school shooter Nathan Bremington, I've come to wonder what the memorial the city has planned for the 37 victims symbolizes for the Tri-State Area. We were once a relatively crime-free area. But after this, our home has now become an essential magnet for angry copycat threats and ravenous conspiracy theorists. Does the memorial set up another target for a crazy maniac...or, God help us, maniacs?"_

_"So, you're saying that you doubt the safety of the opening of the Mid-Summer's Memorial, possibly the hottest topic of the year?"_

_"No. I'm saying that we probably should be on our guard. Who knows what could happen during the opening day, or the days preceding it?"_

* * *

Bailey Sparks was a fun-loving engineer and caring father of three who was about to experience the birth of his first grandchild. Unfortunately, on July 16 of last year, just two days before his grandson was born, he was shot through the head and killed at the Mid-Summer's Festival; he was the first victim of the massacre. Because of the chaotic scene and the continued presence of the four shooters, it took authorities over a day to recover his body from the main entrance of the festival. Just about a month after his death, he was buried in a cemetery located near the local beach. During his burial, it had been a gray, cloudy day, certainly and fittingly mirroring the emotions of horror and grief in the wake of the horrific mass murder.

But today, it wasn't gray or cloudy; it was a happy, optimistic day. Children happily frolicked about on the beach while their parents watched, elderly citizens with metal detectors toured the sands in search of valuable objects discarded by the sea, and the fresh blades of summer grass waved from the gentle breeze that blew. People were almost unaware that they were relishing life near a location that held the bodies of souls less lucky to enjoy such privileges.

At Bailey Sparks's gravestone, a person wearing a large trench-coat and a hat with a brim approached it, and dropped off a rose, same as he did with the gravestone of Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, thirtieth victim of the shooting, four days ago, and the gravestone of Peter Percival Otter, seventeenth victim of the shooting, two days ago.

* * *

Adyson forced her eyes open and sat up on her bed. Once again, she had the strange dream again, the one with the evergreen shrubs with gardenia flowers in the face of a rather surreal environment. The only difference was that she actually _made it_ to the top of the mountain, towards the strange person with his or her back on her, and touched the person's shoulder, about to say something. But Adyson never got to hear what she said, for she woke up at that point.

Her cell phone suddenly rang, and, letting out a sigh, she looked at it and saw that Django was calling her.

"Hello?" she answered sleepily.

"Hey, Addie," Django replied. "Is this a bad time?"

"No, no. What's up?"

"Well, I was thinking we should spend some time together at the Googolplex Mall. The others are kinda unavailable at the moment. Phineas is still dealing with what happened to Ferb, Baljeet is helping in planning the memorial, Buford's at church, the rest of the Fireside Girls are having a meeting with Eliza M. Feyersied and Irving's not answering his cell phone, so, I thought we'd have some quality time together, like the good ol' times. Besides, you've been holed up inside your house ever since Ferb's..." Django stopped speaking for a moment, seemingly choking on the sentence, but he continued on. "Is...Is that okay, Addie?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's okay. My parents are both at work, and Joyce is still at the Lil' Sparks camp. I think I need some outside time."

"Good! I'll see you at four."

"Great. See ya."

Adyson hung up, put away her cell phone, and decided to look out of her window. It was another average summer day in Danville. The sun bathed the suburbs with its rays of light, and she could hear several happy kids enjoying a pool party. And yet, all of these sights, sounds, smells...they weren't so _average_... Even after all of this time, everything didn't seem like the same. Danville, the entire Tri-State Area may have put back its mask of innocence, but it was now damaged... Nothing was fated to be normal ever again...

A sudden movement caught her eye, and she looked at the rusty van that was parked by her mailbox. She didn't recognize the van at all, and she instinctively stepped away from her window. As she calmly left her bedroom, she heard an engine rattle as it started, and then a vehicle driving off. By the time the teenage girl got to the front window and looked out of it, the mysterious van was already gone.

Unnerved by what just happened, Adyson walked away from the front window, unsure of what to do.

* * *

It was five till four o'clock p.m., and Adyson entered the Googolplex Mall. She had decided not to call the police about the van.

_"It was probably just some lost motorist,"_ she thought to herself for the umpteenth time. _"That's what it was, and nothing more."_ Then, she remembered about how she never recognized Ben's true feelings about his life and the world. _"Is it?"_

Before she could dwell on it any further, she heard a familiar voice call her name.

"Adyson! Hey, Adyson!"

Adyson turned around and put on a smile. After almost a year, putting on an innocent, fake smile had become an easy task, something that she had perfected.

"Hey, Django," she said, walking up to the brown-haired artist.

"So, what do you wanna do for today?" Django asked.

"You tell me. You're the one who planned the meeting here."

"Well, after what's happened to you, I think you should decide. This is a social moment for you. You deserve it, Addie, you really do."

Adyson smiled and looked down at the ground shyly. "Thanks." She then looked off at the cafeteria. "How about we eat?"

Django nodded, smiled, and replied, "Eating sounds like a good idea. Let's do it! I'll pay."

As the two teenagers walked off towards the cafeteria, they didn't notice someone with a camera, taking pictures of them. Once the unidentified person was done with his work, he or she strolled away, dropping off a rose in the trash.

* * *

**A/N:** I know, short chapter's short. But it looks like there's someone _stalking_ Adyson and dropping off roses at victims' graves... What's going on here?

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (can't answer reviews AGAIN, so sorry):

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	41. Something at Play

_**July 14, 2016  
**__**2 days**_

Lowering the brim of his hat to ensure security cameras do not efficiently record his face, the man parked his SUV alongside Danville Park and silently observed the sign hanging above the entrance area of the soon-to-be-opened, long-anticipated memorial for the 37 victims of the Mid-Summer's Festival massacre.

_**THE CIRCLE OF 37**_  
_**JULY 16, 2015**_  
_**MAY OUR DEARLY DEPARTED REST IN PEACE**_

A strange smirk crept upon the man's lips, and he rolled down the window. Seconds later, he threw a rose out of the open window. Unlike the roses he left behind at the graves of seven of the victims, and the one he discarded at the Googolplex Mall, this rose sported a set of pearly-white petals, and there was a long strip of paper wrapped around its thorn-adorned stem.

He rolled the window back up and drove away.

* * *

Phineas sat at the sofa, facing the reporter with the notepad on his lap, and the large camera that was staring back at him. Lawrence sat by his side, while Candace sat on the other side. Perry lay beside his feet, maintaining his cover as a mindless pet.

"Tell me, Phineas," the reporter said, "how do you feel, knowing that in two days' time, the death of your mother and a few of your friends happened just a year ago?"

"I feel odd," replied Phineas. "Quite odd. And it won't feel like a year ago, it will feel exactly like yesterday. It's always been that way, every day."

"And now, how are you coping, knowing that your stepbrother Ferb Fletcher is spending six months in jail for unknowingly conspiring to commit mass murder with the four gunmen? It must've been quite a startling revelation, I must say."

Lawrence's eyes widened abruptly; Candace noticed her stepfather's reaction and shook her hand at the reporter.

"I don't think that's a wise question..." she said.

"Oh, forgive me. Alright then, uh..." The reporter took a look at his notepad. "Now, what do you think about the memorial that's gonna open in two days?"

"I don't think about anything," Candace replied seriously, "other than it bringing closure to a dark chapter of our lives. July 16 of last year was a really horrible day for all of us, and I think everyone deserves to know that we are united as we never fail to forget those who were killed during that unfortunate day, and as we continue to face new obstacles ahead of us. It'll obviously be a hard road ahead, the road of recovery, so the memorial's to unite everyone in preparation for this stage."

The reporter nodded, impressed with Candace's response, and then asked, "So, you all knew one of the shooters, Ben Sweetwater, I believe?"

"A friend of ours is his cousin," Phineas replied.

"It has been common knowledge last year that practically all of the Tri-State Area was at odds with the four families for being negligent of their loved ones' alarming behaviors. Do you have anything to comment on that?"

"Well, I can obviously recall my personal feud with the Sweetwaters. I blamed them for never noticing that Ben's behavior hadn't changed much, even though he was briefly sent to a mental health facility. But I realized that my actions against them were pushing my sanity on the brink, and I found out the hard way."

"Hard way, how?"

"I was sent to a mental health facility as well. Ironic, huh?"

"Oh, very ironic. But people still continue to blame the four families of the shooters even as the first-ever anniversary of the massacre approaches, quite a majority of people still. What do you have to say about that?"

Phineas looked directly at the camera. "Well, I have this to say. People, I despised the Radesons, the Vladimirescus, the Garrisons, and the Sweetwaters like you do now. But I must warn you, if you continue to blame these families, you will not get anything out of it. I learned my lesson the hard way, by finding out that my hatred, my wrath against them has reshaped me into a person I do not recognize at all. You can't imagine the horror I experienced when I looked into a mirror, or the terrible realization that hit me. It was the realization that I had become exactly like those killers who caused us so much grief and embodiment of hatred and rage and self-destruction. People of the Tri-State Area, I warn you: do NOT blame these families anymore. It's been a year now, and at this point, or any other point, blaming people won't bring them back. Nothing can bring them back."

A tear appeared at the corner of Phineas's eye.

"So stop hating, and start loving. Start forgiving. Start over."

* * *

Baljeet looked into the ruby necklace, his reflection distorted by the jagged cracks that adorned the jewel's surface, cracks that were still a haunting reminder that his loved one, Wendy, was gone from the world and never able to come back to him. Sighing with a mixture of sadness and content, the Indian boy placed the necklace back onto the counter of the table that held his academic achievement awards, as well as a couple of photos of him with Wendy. The two of them were smiling possibly their widest smiles in each and every picture.

The ringing of the doorbell suddenly resonated through the Rai house, and Baljeet heard the front door open, followed by his mother's voice.

"Hello?" It was silent, and then... "Honey?"

"Yeah?" replied the voice of Mr. Rai.

"Is this for you?"

A brief silence.

"Definitely not. Baljeet?!"

Baljeet strode out of his room, down the staircase, and found his parents standing at the front door, wearing strange and curious expressions.

"Baljeet, honey," Mrs. Rai asked, "is this for you?"

Baljeet looked down at his mother's outstretched hand, and raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"A white rose?" he replied. "No."

"It must've been some florist who lost his way during a delivery or something," Mr. Rai said.

"Really?" Mrs. Rai replied curiously, observing the rose. "What kind of florist doesn't even bother to trim the thorns from the rose's stem? I'm holding this thing at the edge." She then looked out of the doorway, just as Ginger and Gretchen appeared, holding boxes. "Oh, hello Gretchen, Ginger!"

"Hello, Mrs. Rai," replied Ginger. "Here's the last of the cupcake boxes you asked for."

"Thank you so much, girls." Mrs. Rai generously took the boxes from Ginger, while Mr. Rai took Gretchen's boxes. "Gretchen, thank your mother for us for supplying this food for the memorial, it's very kind of her to do so!"

"I will, Mrs. Rai," replied Gretchen. She then spotted the white rose. "Wow, nice rose."

"Thanks. It's not ours; we don't even know who sent it."

Gretchen raised an eyebrow as she examined the rose. "Quite a peculiar rose indeed. I never even knew white roses were native in the Tri-State Area..."

"Well, we'll keep this rose anyway. We could use it for decorations, just as long as I remove these thorns..."

Mr. and Mrs. Rai both walked off, while Baljeet looked at Ginger and Gretchen.

"Thanks again, for the food," he said.

"Anything for you, 'Jeet," Ginger said, a noticeable blush coming up in her cheeks, but Baljeet didn't notice.

"Well, I gotta go..." He prepared to go back inside the house when Ginger spoke up again.

"Baljeet, wait!"

Baljeet looked at the Japanese girl. "Yeah?" he asked.

Ginger shot a glare at Gretchen, and she mysteriously walked away. The girl then looked back at Baljeet, blushing even more furiously.

"I was wondering that...maybe we could, you know...uh, um...uh..." Ginger began muttering incomprehensible statements to herself.

"Ginger?" Baljeet asked curiously.

Ginger shook his head and asked quickly, "Would you like to go to dinner with me?!" She then added at a regular pace, "As friends, of course..."

Beads of sweat appeared on Ginger's forehead as she looked into Baljeet's eyes, waiting for a response. To her relief, his lips curved into a kind smile.

"Sure," he replied. "When, and where?"

In the corners of her mind, Ginger sighed as she laid out the details with Baljeet.

* * *

Buford crossed himself to conclude his prayer and started moving his wheelchair away from the rows of seats, heading towards the church exit. As he did, he could see split-second-long flashes of light, reminiscent of a camera flashing, from the cover of an SUV. The former bully blinked, and shook his head. He then looked at the SUV again and saw that the flashes had stopped.

Shrugging dismissively, Buford wheeled himself out of the church, turned toward the parking lot, and saw the last person he expected to see: Milly Barnes, peering into his car, wearing a rather unusual choice of a dark-gray hoodie. It had been a while since he last saw her; after being shot and severely injured at the festival, she had contracted agoraphobia around September and retreated to the sanctuary of her own home, never to be heard from again, till now.

"Milly?" Buford asked. "What're you doing here?"

Milly flicked her head at Buford, who saw terrified eyes before the girl burst into a complete run, sprinting down the sidewalk and out of sight in a few seconds. Buford was so stunned by the strange occurrence that he didn't hear an engine start; the same SUV he was looking at drove away.

* * *

**A/N:** So, it looks like something sinister's in place, and Milly might be connected to it. What do you think it is?

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (can't answer reviews right now):

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	42. Home Intruder, Part 1

_**July 15, 2016**_  
_**1 day**_

It was about three o'clock in the morning when Phineas forced his eyes open and stared straight into the ceiling of his bedroom as silence and darkness reigned. He had just experienced a rather horrifying nightmare in which he was back in the Mid-Summer's Festival while the loud sounds of gunfire and explosions hammered into his ears like jackhammers. He was running through the tents and stalls, trying to find a way out, and then, he watched as one of the gunmen appeared from behind a tent and shot someone who was directly right in front of him. The shooter then reloaded, and Phineas took that time of distraction to successfully subdue and disarm him. Then, he removed the attacker's mask.

The last thing he saw in the nightmare was a shrub of bright-green hair and a cubicle nose.

Phineas glanced at the empty bed next to him. It has been weeks since Ferb got his memory back, and yet, he still couldn't believe Ferb got himself involved in a plot to terrorize the Tri-State Area, even if he was mostly unaware of what he was getting himself into. But what was more shocking for him was Ferb's motivation to affiliate himself with a gang of sociopaths, which his stepbrother had admitted to him upon his arrest by police. It was an admission that Phineas would never forget.

_"I was just jealous of you."_

Jealous? Phineas never knew Ferb was so jealous of him; it was such an impossible prospect! But now that Ferb gave him all of the details of his jealousy, he cursed himself for not knowing the obvious. People always called them 'Phineas and Ferb', not the other way around. People always knew Phineas Flynn as the inventor and an essential leader, while Ferb was the quiet sidekick. And most of all, the pretty girl had to have a crush on Phineas. It was obvious that Ferb felt foreshadowed by his stepbrother, and paid the price for it. And now, Phineas was left to toil on the fact that he was partially responsible for Ferb's actions. Things had already become quite complicated for Phineas ever since Anabel and her family had to return home after an extended leave while helping Vivian recuperate from Isabella's death.

"Now I know how Adyson felt," he muttered to himself, shaking his head as he basked in the irony of the situation.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of glass shattering. The inventor sat up on his bed abruptly and looked at Perry, who had been previously sleeping on the bed with him, but had also heard the noise and was now standing on his hind legs in a prepared pose.

"Perry, you hear that?" he whispered.

Perry nodded in response and took out a multi-function blaster and a tiny flashlight from underneath his fur. Phineas cautiously opened a drawer and took out his nifty Baseball Launcher. The two crawled out of the bed and tiptoed out of the room, Perry activating his flashlight upon entering the darkness-shrouded hallway. As they quietly made their way across the hall, they heard someone stumble around at the lower floor.

"Uh...Dad?" Phineas called, hoping that Lawrence had merely woken up to get something from downstairs and accidentally broke a piece of glass, despite the fact that no lights seemed to be turned on from downstairs.

Approaching the staircase, Perry shone his flashlight down the stairs, briefly catching a glimpse of a person wearing some sort of dark-gray shirt dashing away.

"HEY, STOP!" Phineas shouted, firing his Baseball Launcher into the darkness.

Seconds later, the two heard a female grunt, and then the sound of someone falling on the floor. They dashed down the staircase, Perry waving his flashlight around to find the intruder. Eventually, the platypus shone his light upon the baseball fired by Phineas , but there was no one lying beside it. Phineas remotely commandeered the baseball back into the launcher, just as he heard someone breathing heavily. Phineas and Perry turned around, the latter shining his flashlight into the living room.

There was a teenage girl sitting on one of the sofas. She wore a dark-gray hoodie with the hood drawn over most of her head, but Phineas still recognized her.

"Milly?"

Milly didn't respond, instead blinking at him.

"Milly, what're you doing here?"

Again, there was no response. One of Milly's eyes twitched once. Perry aimed his blaster, setting it on stun mode readily and cautiously.

"Milly?" Phineas asked. "_Milly_!"

Suddenly, Milly sprung forward towards Phineas and Perry. Perry tried firing his blaster, but Milly already knocked the platypus to the ground. Phineas then attempted to fire the Baseball Launcher, but Milly seized the weapon and struck him across the face with it. Reeling from the blow, Phineas could only watch in absolute shock and hopelessness as Milly tried to sprint away.

But then, the girl abruptly fell to the floor and began convulsing violently. Phineas weakly stood up and limped over towards his friend.

"Milly, Milly, what's happening?" he asked in worry. However, Milly still didn't respond and continued to thrash about, likely involuntarily.

Phineas glared at Perry. "Perry, do something!" he cried.

Perry nodded and set his blaster to heal mode. He then fired a single laser at Milly, to which she stopped flailing and laid still on the wooden living room floor.

Just then, the lights all turned on, and Phineas watched as Lawrence ran down the stairs.

"Phineas, son, what's going on?" he asked. He then spotted Milly's body. "What in the world?-"

"Dad, quick, call 911," replied Phineas quickly.

* * *

Morning dawned upon the Tri-State Area, signaling a new day. But to Adyson, the warmth of the first rays of sunlight meant more bad news. She had just received a phone call from a panicked Phineas, frantically telling that Milly, a good friend whom she didn't see often since the festival shootings, had landed herself in a hospital. Albeit under the strangest of circumstances. She didn't even think of Milly to be the home-intruder type.

"Here we are, Adyson honey," Kathy said as she stopped her SUV in front of the Tri-State General Hospital. However, Adyson ignored her mother as she got out of the SUV and ran into the hospital.

After getting herself signed in as a visitor and finding the location of Milly's room, Adyson took an elevator with her mother. Upon reaching the fourth floor, the teenage girl dashed out the moment the doors slid open, and after running down a set of hallways for a couple of minutes, she quickly found Phineas, Baljeet, Buford, the other Fireside Girls, Django, and Milly's parents, all of whom were sitting on chairs by a waiting desk.

"Guys!" Adyson greeted. "Is Milly okay?"

"Yeah," replied Phineas. "The doctors are treating her right now."

"I honestly can't believe Milly did that," Baljeet said. "I mean, break into Phineas's home? What was she even doing there in the first place?"

"I'm surprised she actually left her home," said Holly. "I always had to meet up with her inside her home ever since she got shot, and even inside her home she felt a bit offset with herself. The poor girl, she was scared out of her wits when she was nearly killed."

"Phineas," Adyson said, looking at her friend, "do you have any idea why Milly would wanna go inside your home in the middle of the night?"

"There is nothing in there that would interest her. But it's not the part where she broke into my home that really surprises me. What surprised me more was her very odd behavior. When she looked at me, she didn't seem to recognize me at all. And then, when she tried to run, she just fell onto the floor and started thrashing about like a fish out of the ocean. It was so disturbing..."

"Well, judging by how you described this thrashing," replied Baljeet, "it would sound as if she had some sort of seizure."

"Why would Milly have a seizure?" Ginger asked. "My mom once told me that she was one of the healthiest girls she's ever seen."

"If she doesn't have epilepsy, then it could be because of a large variety of other factors. But I think I can pinpoint one: psychological trauma. She probably has post-traumatic stress disorder, and I think that induces psychogenic non-epileptic seizures."

"English, 'Jeet, English," Buford snapped.

"In other words, she started convulsing because she's scarred by her near-death experience."

A strange look flooded Buford's eyes, and he replied, "Oh. Okay."

"But that still doesn't explain why Milly attacked me and Perry," said Phineas.

"That we can find out now," Django replied. "Here comes the doctor."

Indeed, two doctors had stepped out of the room. Milly's parents instantly sprung up from their seats.

"Doctor, is our little girl okay?" asked Mrs. Barnes worriedly.

The doctor looked at his companion, sighed deeply, and looked at the couple somberly. "She's okay, but it appears that she's mentally..._damaged_. She resisted quite violently against the nurses, and we had to tranquilize her twice. And...she keeps mentioning a certain name. _Irving_."

* * *

**A/N:** So, Irving has something to do with this as well? GASP! WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? Only I know, and I'm not telling just yet. *cackles evilly*

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (cannot answer reviews right now):

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	43. TruthWGlasses, Part 2

**A/N:** Before I begin, I reach out to anyone who has created a Community. I am trying to create my own, but whatever edits I make, it doesn't seem to be showing on the P&F Communities archive. Can someone help me out, please? It'd very much appreciated! :D

Well, on with the chapter! ENJOY!

* * *

_**July 15, 2016**_  
_**1 day**_

"_Irving_?" Phineas asked in confusion. "Why would Milly be mentioning Irving's name repeatedly?"

"Well, guess we're gonna have to find out from him," Baljeet replied.

"That's gonna be a bit difficult to do," said Django. "I've been trying to call him, but he's not answering his phone. I've also tried using his home number, but no one's answering either. Not his parents, not Albert. In fact...he hasn't been answering his phone for a couple of days..."

"So you're saying Irving did something to my little girl to make her do what she did?!" Mrs. Barnes exclaimed, her fury increasing by the second.

"We're not saying anything, Mrs. Barnes!" Katie said. "What in the world was Milly doing outside anyway? I thought she was afraid to go outside, last I heard."

"We don't know," replied Mr. Barnes, shaking his head. "We were sleeping at the time we got the call from police, telling us that Milly had landed herself in a hospital." He then bit his lip in frustration. "We...we were in the next room...and somehow...my Milly managed to escape our watch and go outside..."

"Don't start blaming yourself, Mr. Barnes," Adyson said. She then confidently crossed her arms. "As her family and friends, I believe that it's our duty to find out what happened to her, and that's what we're gonna do."

"Isn't that a job for the police, Addie?" Phineas asked.

"Well, when something bad happens to one of our friends, it's personal."

"Addie..." Katie said, touching her friend's shoulder, "Phineas is right. Let the police handle it. They are on the case, knowing that there is no way an agoraphobic like Milly would wanna go outside without proper help. And besides...I think that what we find if we investigate...might be ugly. We've been seeing too many terrible truths for ourselves: the fact that people were killed by cops, Ferb being in on the plan, Ben helping those guys attack the festival... I think we should sit this one out."

Adyson blinked, remembering all of the horror and shock that hit her when she found out all of these revelations. Knowing that Katie was right, she nodded at her.

"I guess so..." she said.

In the meantime, Mr. Barnes looked at the doctor. "Can we see her, doctor?" he asked.

The doctor shook his head. "No," he replied. "Like I said, we had to tranquilize her to stop her violent resistance. I am not sure what her reaction is gonna be when she regains consciousness, so we are not gonna take any chances for now. For now, all you have to do is wait for a further notification on your daughter's progress, Mr. Barnes. We'll be sure to tell you when she is legitimately placated."

"Thank you, doctor."

The doctor nodded and walked down the hallway, followed by his companion. Phineas, in the meantime, looked at the group.

"Well, I guess there's nothing else we can do here," he said. "We should probably be going."

"We'll stay here," Mrs. Barnes replied. "There's no way we're leaving Milly just yet. Thank you, guys, for coming."

"You're welcome, Mrs. Barnes," Baljeet replied.

"I'm...I'm gonna stay here too," piped Buford suddenly. "I don't wanna leave these two alone in the hospital."

"Aw, you're so sweet, Buford," said Mrs. Barnes, "but I think you should be getting back home-"

"No, it's cool. I'll just call my mom and tell her I'm gonna be staying here for a bit longer. The rest of you just get back home."

Phineas nodded in understanding, and after the group said their goodbyes to Buford, they walked towards the elevators. As they did, Adyson sighed and looked down at the ground, downcast. This caused her to move slower, and she was eventually at the very rear of the group, something that Django noticed.

"Addie, you okay?" he asked.

Adyson looked at Django and replied, "Yeah, it's just...I've just realized that I barely _know_ anyone anymore. Ferb's in jail for conspiring to commit the festival shooting, Phineas and Baljeet are both capable of extreme wrath, Milly's become insane, God knows what happened to Irving... Sometimes I wonder if I don't really know _myself_ either. I don't know if I can trust anyone in my life anymore..."

"Hey, don't feel down about this. We're gonna get through it; everyone will."

"How're we supposed to get through this, after all the nightmares we've been through? Scars don't heal, they fade...meaning they're still there, despite the looks..."

Django placed a hand on her shoulder, as the elevator doors slid open.

"We'll get through it," he said confidently. "I assure you that."

* * *

As the group exited the Tri-State General Hospital, no one noticed the person taking pictures from the shelter of an SUV.

* * *

_"It's a pleasure to meet up with you again, Mr. Vynchee."_

_"Thanks, Mrs. Weston."_

_"So, tell us here at Danville News, what's the latest public opinion about the first anniversary of the festival massacre that's scheduled to be tomorrow?"_

_"Well, I don't have an opinion on that, but I have something else to say. See, it has recently come to my attention that a good friend of mine has doubts about herself."_

_"Doubts about herself? Can you clarify that?"  
_

_"I don't wanna go into details, but I will say that she has a compromise of identity, and I just wanna tell the Tri-State Area that I think, in preparation for the anniversary and the opening of the Circle of 37 Memorial tomorrow, I think that everyone should do at least one kind deed to everyone, people they are familiar with, but also strangers they barely know. Give inspiration to not only her, but _everyone_; inspiration in the fact that there's more good people in the world than all of the bad people."_

* * *

Adyson walked over to her computer, activated it, and accessed her Headpage account. As she did, her mind began to linger towards thoughts of her and Ben, as well as her conversation with Django back at the hospital. Maybe other people could find it easy to move on, she knew, but what about her? How could she move on from something if her beloved cousin _participated_ in bringing the tragedy to fruition.

Her thoughts were interrupted the moment she saw that there was a single new message in her inbox, sent by a person going by the title 'TruthWGlasses'.

_"TruthWGlasses?"_ she thought, intrigued by the strange and unfamiliar username. She looked at the message.

_**"One day. Think about your sins."**_

Adyson's eyes widened in horror at the strange message. She then noticed that there was a file underneath the message, indicating the TruthWGlasses had also sent some sort of document alongside the message. She clicked on the file. A second later, she gasped.

It was photos of her, her family, and her friends doing numerous activities. She recognized photos of her trip with Django at the Googolplex Mall, Buford praying at the local church, and, most recently, her and her friends visiting Milly at the hospital.

But what shocked her were a set of particular photos. Some consisted of her sister Joyce at the Lil' Sparks camp, and also Milly, either inside her house or outside. In one photo of the latter, it appeared that Milly had spotted the photographer.

Then, she came across one photo that caught her attention.

It was of her sleeping in her bedroom.

* * *

Phineas opened the front door and stepped inside the Flynn-Fletcher home, sighing as he removed his shoes. He then walked into the living room.

"Dad, I'm home," he called. He then spotted a note lying on the living room table. Picking it up, Phineas read it.

_Dear Phineas,_

_Gone shopping. Perry's off at the OWCA. You have the house to yourself for three hours. Be back soon._

_Love, Dad_

Phineas smiled and set the letter down on the table. He then turned back and noticed that the door leading into the backyard was open. Raising an eyebrow in sheer curiosity, the inventor stepped forward and cautiously closed it. As he did, he suddenly heard a camera shutter go off.

"Hello?" he called. There was no response.

Biting his lip in apprehension, Phineas slowly reached towards a drawer, opened it, and took out a stun-blaster Perry had given him in wake of Milly's intrusion into the home last night. He then slowly walked forward, the blaster ready, and inspected the kitchen. The first thing he noticed was the plate on the kitchen table, which was still occupied by some unfinished food. Beads of hot sweat appeared on Phineas's forehead.

The camera shutter went off again. Phineas twirled around and fired a shot. He then watched as a silver-and-gray blur appeared for a split-second, followed by a small clanking noise. He looked down at the ground and saw that it was a camera.

Approaching the camera and picking it up, he found that it was still recording. Whilst looking through its screen, he aimed it at the front door.

And saw someone wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, standing outside.

* * *

Adyson stood up, screaming at the sight of her photo. A second later, she felt something metallic press against the back of her head, and she felt her voice vanish.

"Don't...move..." a male voice snarled. She then heard a chuckle. "It's nice to meet you, Adyson Sweetwater..."

* * *

**A/N:** WTF is going on?! And MWAHAHAHA, ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER! Yes, I am evil.

I'd like to thank the following for reviewing (once again, CANNOT answer the damn reviews, sorry):

**Galaxina-the-Seedrian**

**woodland5 (guest reviewer)**

**shadowayn**

**humanusscriptor**

**Robot Wolf 26Z**

**random guy (guest reviewer)**

**AuthorD**

**MonkeyLover422**

**henryleland**

**some guy (guest reviewer)**

**robertdevine2011**

**FanFicCriTicTheThird**

**Agent Alanshee**

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	44. A Trio of Strange Figures, Part 3

**A/N:** I'm back. Again. And ready to bring some serious s**t to y'all. ENJOY!

**P.S.:** This story got its 800TH REVIEW! YAY!

* * *

_**July 15, 2016**_  
_**1 day**_

Django walked up the doorstep of the Sweetwater home, clearing his throat and fidgeting around with his foot nervously. He slowly approached the front door, and he began muttering to himself in a low, secretive voice, but there was a slight smile present on his face.

"Addie, I just wanted you to know that...I like you. ...No, too soon. Uh, Addie, I know you're going through a hard time, and I understand why. Just know that I will be here for you when you need it. ...No, no, that's stupid, and way too subtle. Addie, just know that I'll be there for you, with arms wide open. ...Bah, so stupid! Okay, I'll just tell her that it's all gonna be okay, everything will be okay, and then I'll give her a nice hug. And then I'll ask her out. In a friendly manner, of course. That'll set the way for some good development. Yeah, that's good, that's good...yeah, good..."

The artist let out a sigh and then pressed the doorbell. He waited for a few minutes, but no one opened the door. Curiously, Django looked out onto the driveway and saw that there was a strange rusty van parked in the driveway, indicating that someone was here.

Django knocked on the door. "Hello?" he called. "Anybody home?" There was no response, so he knocked again. "Hello? Addie, it's me, Django. Are you home?"

He looked down at the doorknob and saw that it was half-turned. That meant that the door was _open_.

"_Addie_?"

Looking around, Django then cautiously opened the door. He then peeked his head into the home, seeing that nothing was out of place.

"Hello? Addie? Mr. Sweetwater? Mrs. Sweetwater? Hello, anyone home?"

There was no response, once again. Having a bad feeling about this strange occurrence, Django whipped out his cell phone and dialed 911.

"911, what's your emergency?" the operator asked.

"Hey, uh, 5932 Sparrow Street," replied Django. "I wanna report a possible break-in at the home. There's this strange van I've never seen before in the parkway, the door's half-open, and no one's responding to my calls."

"Alright, I'm sending units right now. What's your name?"

"Django Brown."

"Alright, Django, I want you to get outta there."

"Okay, I'm going right now..."

He turned around and instantly spotted someone standing a few feet away from him. He was wearing a black cap, sunglasses, an army-green scarf, and a thick brown winter-coat. A red-and-white-striped piece of cloth was draped over his mouth and nose, further obscuring his facial features. Django knew from the strange choice of winter clothing during a summer day, plus his odd presence at the Sweetwater home, that the man was bad news.

"Oh, God..." moaned Django.

"Why? What's happening, Django?" the operator asked.

"Send in the cops, quick!" Django exclaimed, split-seconds before the strange man charged for him.

The artist dropped his cell phone and ran inside the house. He quickly overturned a nearby table to slow the man down, and then made a dash for the backyard door. However, Django was running too fast that he collided with the window; reeling from the blow, he stopped long enough for the man to catch up.

"LET GO OF ME!" screamed Django as the man tackled him to the ground. His only response was the man's hands latching themselves around his neck, followed by a slow but steady loss of air... He was _strangling_ him to death...

As hard as he could, the teenager landed a well-placed blow to the man's jaw; he heard him grunt in pain as he fell to the ground. Quickly, Django held the man down and removed his cap, sunglasses, and scarf. He was instantly greeted with the sight of a young man at around Candace's age, with an unshaven face, blond hair, and gray eyes with frantic pupils that wouldn't stand still.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ADYSON?!" Django screamed. "HUH?! WHAT'D YOU **DO** TO HER?!"

Suddenly, the man smirked maliciously at him, and a split-second later, Django felt something strike him at the back of the head. Falling onto the floor, the teenage boy looked up at his newest assailant: a man wearing a hat with a brim that was cast over his eyes and a large trench-coat.

His world then became black.

* * *

"HEY!" Phineas shouted. The masked person froze in his or her tracks. Seconds later, he fled from his sight. The inventor ran up to the door, opened it, and watched as the man hopped on a motorcycle and sped away.

Phineas could do nothing but stand there, flabbergasted at what just happened.

* * *

Buford sat next to the Barnes couple, tapping his fingers against the arm of his wheelchair as he waited for the doctor to come out of Milly's room and give them good news. Doctors and nurses continued to walk past him endlessly in some sort of pattern, paying him no attention whatsoever, but he didn't care. What he cared about right now was Milly's current predicament.

After his near-death experience last year, Buford had felt so confused and so traumatized by the ordeal. He couldn't look at the everyday things he experienced in his life the same way ever again. But after he found a solution in the form of faith, the former bully had felt so enlightened. And now that Milly, having survived a similarly grievous gunshot injury, was psychologically scarred, with little chance of recovery, Buford felt empathy for the girl. It was something that he found quite odd, since he had never paid much attention to her in the years preceding the mass shooting.

Suddenly, the door to Milly's room opened, and a nurse emerged, a smile on her face.

"She's awake," she announced. "And better yet, her mental health appears to have greatly improved. You can talk to her."

"Oh, thank God!" exclaimed Mrs. Barnes as she stood up from her chair and ran into the room, quickly followed by Buford and Mr. Barnes.

The moment he entered the room and spotted the bedridden Milly, Buford began to flash back to the time he regained consciousness. It was _exactly_ reminiscent of that fateful day. He could still remember the words his parents told him...

_"The doctor said you've been shot many times. Fortunately, none of the bullets hit any vital areas. But one bullet lodged itself in your lower spine. The surgeons stated that there would be a ten-percent chance that removing that bullet would cause paralysis to your legs. We told the surgeons it was okay to remove that bullet. And...you hit the ten-percent chance. You're paralyzed from the waist down."_

Buford stopped his wheelchair as Mr. and Mrs. Barnes greeted their daughter.

"Milly!" Mrs. Barnes exclaimed.

"Mom? Dad?" Milly asked curiously. She then looked around. "Where am I?" Her eyes widened in realization. "Is this a _hospital_? How'd I _get_ here?"

"I don't know, honey," Mr. Barnes replied. "You somehow went outside. And..." He paused briefly. "...you broke into Phineas's house."

Milly's eyes widened even more. "WHAT?!" she exclaimed. "I DID **NOTHING** OF THE SORT! I DON'T EVEN **REMEMBER** DOING ANYTHING LIKE THAT!" She paused. "I don't even remember what I _did_ during the past couple of days..."

* * *

Adyson opened her eyes and found herself sitting in the corner of a room shrouded in complete, pitch-black darkness. She looked around, hoping to see anything that could be useful, but naturally, she couldn't. The only thing that was helpful for her was the wall she was lying against; it was cold and uneven.

"Hello?" she called.

Just then, she heard a moan resonate through the room.

"Hello?" she called again. "Who's there?"

"A-_Addie_?..." a familiar voice moaned.

Adyson's eyes widened in surprise. "_Django_?" she asked. "What're _you_ doing here?"

"I...I went over to your house. Your door was open, and there was this strange van in your driveway. Then, I get ambushed by these two guys, and I get knocked out. ...What happened to you, Addie? What the hell's going on?"

"I don't know. The first thing I know, I'm receiving a Headpage post from some guy called TruthWGlasses, who appears to have been taking photos of all of us for quite some time. Then, I get held at gunpoint by some guy who knows my name, most likely TruthWGlasses, and I get knocked out."

"Okay. So, it looks like there's two of them, who obviously have some grudge with the gang."

"Or me," Adyson interjected. "There's still people who're vengeful against me and my family for not noticing Ben's alarming behavior." She let out a sad sigh. "This is all my fault, Django. You never deserved to get involved in these matters-"

"Addie, it's NOT your fault. The only ones at fault are the ones who took us, and no one else!"

Adyson smiled slightly. "Thanks, Django. ...You know, even after all of this, you've always been there for me, to support me. I honestly do not know how many times I can thank you for your kindness. I honestly don't."

Though she couldn't see her friend, she knew that Django smiled in response. "You're welcome, Addie. I mean, I care for you. You're the greatest friend I've ever had. I mean, you've always been there for me when we were younger, when no one wanted to be my friend and I was lonely. I think it'd be fair if I returned the favor..."

Suddenly, they heard a door open, and rays of light filled the room, assaulting Adyson's eyes with full ferocity. When her pupils adjusted themselves to the bright light, she spotted the room's contents aside from her and Django: a number of machine guns, grenade launchers, grenades, rocket-propelled grenades, and bazookas. Also in the room were assault shields, pieces of body armor, and communication equipment devices. Her eyes widened at the sight of so many military-grade weapons and devices, as did Django's.

A trio of people entered the fray: one wore a hat with a brim and a large trench-coat; the other wore a thick winter-jacket, a cap, sunglasses, a cloth that was over his nose and mouth, and a scarf; and the third wore a Guy Fawkes mask.

"Hello, Sweetwater, Brown," the man wearing the scarf greeted. "Welcome to the show!"

* * *

**A/N:** So, it does look like an attack is in the works. Can anyone guess who these three guys are?

And, in response to Flying Liberty, Eliza Fletcher WILL appear; I am still trying to write a couple of scenes for her.

I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:

**Robot Wolf 26Z:** Well, it looks like you're gonna have to find out later. ;)

**Flying Liberty:** Picture Man, eh? More like Picture _Men_! XD Nice title, by the way. Maybe I should use it...

**humanusscriptor:** You'll find out soon!

**TheNargana:** Sorry about that. :(

**woodland5 (guest reviewer):** *cackles evilly*

**shadowayn:** You'll see... ;D

**MonkeyLover422:** I shall indeed!

**thedoraemons7:** ?

**AuthorD:** INDEED!

**sonicboy678:** Meh, it's okay, take your time! :D

**mystery girl234:** Thanks! I'm glad you're still liking this!

**random guy (guest reviewer):** Thanks!

**CannyDuck (guest reviewer):** HOORAY, 800TH REVIEWER! CYBER COOKIES FOR YOU! *tosses a batch*

**OneCrazyCartoon (guest reviewer):** I've deduced the anagram, but you're gonna have to find out later still... ;D

**Guest reviewer:** Update hurriedly I shall! :D

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	45. A Clue Underneath, Part 1

_**July 15, 2016**_  
_**1 day**_

Once again, Phineas found himself talking to police officers interrogating him, this time about the incident with the camera and the masked man at the Flynn-Fletcher's front door; officers responded a couple of minutes after Phineas made a 911 call. To him, he process was starting to become irritatingly redundant for the inventor, and he even wondered if all of these tragic occurrences were supposed to be some sort of cycle of events that was repeating over and over and over again without any plans of stopping. To make things even worse, he had also overheard officers being informed of two disappearances in the Goodwill Springs area, two teenagers, one female and one male whose descriptions matched those of Adyson and Django's. Phineas instantly suspected the masked man of being behind the disappearances.

"So, you couldn't see the man's face?" the interrogating officer asked.

"Of course not," replied Phineas. "He was wearing a mask."

"A Guy Fawkes mask, to be exact?"

"That's what I said."

The officer nodded as he wrote down the facts on a notepad. Then, he looked up and asked, "Alright, can you hand over that camera? It's now evidence."

Phineas nodded and handed over the camera.

* * *

_**Months earlier  
November 26, 2015**_

Adyson took the camera from Chief Raymond Gonzalez, who was promoted to that position two months ago following the deaths of Commissioner Gale O'Connor and the previous Chief of Police, Pete Palmers. It was also two months ago that the Danville Police Department cover-up conspiracy of the deaths they caused during the Mid-Summer's Festival massacre was exposed by Adyson and her family. It was an event that Adyson still remembered like it was yesterday.

"Inspection of your camera's done, Adyson," Gonzalez said solemnly. "We have done no damage to it during the inspection. You can use it now if you wish. Thank you for providing this evidence to the department for our investigation."

The teenager nodded as she looked into the camera's eye. As she held the device, she began to delve into her thoughts. In her hands, she knew, was an instrument vital to Ben's planning of the massacre. It didn't matter if Ben didn't kill anyone during the shooting; he still committed and participated in a heinous act of violence, and it was still something to be extremely ashamed of.

She looked up and saw that Gonzalez had already started walking away. Sighing, Adyson looked down at the camera again. She could feel as if the camera's eye was actually alive and looking up at her with its single robotic pupil. Adyson could imagine the eye belonging to Ben.

"Well, Ben," she said, "Today's Thanksgiving. ...Our first Thanksgiving without you. We're all doing fine now; Mom and Dad are seeking counsel, Joyce is becoming her usual happy self, and I got all of my friends back. And what's even better, we proved to the city...the _world_ that you didn't kill anyone during the shooting." She smiled slightly. "...You never really were a killer."

Adyson suddenly frowned with disappointment. "But I am still very, _very_ disappointed in you, Ben. You may not have murdered anyone, but you still participated in that horrible...thing. Why didn't you tell me that you were still upset? I'm your cousin! ...I'm your friend! You could've told me anything, and I would've understood! But you didn't! You became the very thing I was afraid you'd become! I don't care if you didn't kill anyone; you still shot people, you still ruined lives forever, and you _still_ have brought shame to me, Mom, Dad, and even Joyce! Yes, Joyce now knows what you did. Now she thinks you're a bad guy." She shook her head as tears formed in her eyes. "I'm _really_ disappointed in you, Ben..."

Adyson lowered the camera, looking off into the sky. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, and the nighttime stars were beginning to take reign, as it was late in the evening. The sky was quite beautiful this way.

"I really am, Ben. ...I really am..."

The teenager then looked at the camera again. Last year, she had been using that very device to chronicle her life. But that very purpose had been perverted by her own cousin, who used it to chronicle his planning of the shooting with his friends. Now, she was holding that very camera in her hands, in the wake of the success Ben experienced in carrying out the massacre.

37 dead. And she was holding a practical contributor to their murders.

Adyson walked over to a nearby trash can and threw the camera inside with all of her might. She then walked inside her Aunt Allison's house, as her family began to celebrate a rather silent and awkward Thanksgiving.

* * *

_**Sweetwater Camera POV**_  
_**November 26, 2015**_  
_**07:04:40 P.M.**_

_(begin videotape. The recorder steps away from the trash can and towards the house. He or she looks through a window, observing the Sweetwater family eating in silence)_

_(cut to the recorder walking towards a window that gives a closer look at the family)_

**Randy:** So, who would like to say the prayers?

**Joyce:** I'll do it, Daddy.

**Randy:** Alright, honey.

_(the entire family stands up and holds each other's hands in a unified circle)_

**Joyce:** Dear Lord, thank you for this wonderful feast that is before us, and double thank you for us still living even after those bad cops went after us. Please give us this kind of luck for the rest of our lives, and also to those who are less unlucky. Please help all the poor and homeless people and give them as good of a dinner as we have. And please make sure that everyone is happy again. For some reason, everyone around me keeps crying a lot.

_(everyone else smiles)_

**Joyce:** Oh, and also forgive my cousin Ben and send him to Heaven. I know he's a bad guy and all, but he has been very nice to me and my family, and I don't think he deserves to be in Hell. He's really nice, and I know he'll behave in Heaven. Thank you. Amen.

**Everyone else:** Amen.

_(everyone sits down and resumes eating)_

_(cut)_

**Randy:** Joyce, honey?

**Joyce:** Yes, Daddy?

**Randy:** I know you still love Ben, but...I think...I think it would be best for the rest of us if you didn't mention his name anymore.

**Joyce:** Why, Daddy? Is his name cursed?

**Kathy:** Joyce, honey, Ben's in Hell because he did a really, _really_ bad thing. And what he did has really given the entire family a severe amount of sadness and grief. I think that we all need to move on, and the only way we can do that is to forget about Ben.

**Joyce:** But...but Mommy, I don't wanna forget about Ben! I don't care if he is a bad guy; he still played with me! He was a good guy around me!

**Adyson:** Joyce...he was faking it. He never really loved us. All he cared about was himself, and causing others immense pain.

**Joyce:** That's not true! He loved us, I just know it!

**Randy:** Joyce, please settle down-

**Joyce:** NO, DADDY! I LOVE BEN, AND IF YOU GUYS DON'T LOVE HIM, THEN I DON'T LOVE YOU!

_(Joyce runs out of the room)_

_(cut to the recorder turning away from the window. End videotape)_

* * *

_**November 27, 2015**_  
_**01:59:39 A.M.**_

_(begin videotape. The recorder is walking down a sidewalk in a suburban neighborhood, and the camera's flashlight is activated. He or she finally comes across an average two-story house. The recorder observes the house; there appears to be no activity inside)_

_(cut to the recorder approaching the backyard gate. He or she climbs over it and wanders straight into the backyard. A twig snaps, and the camera whirls around, recording the surroundings, but nothing appears to be out of place, so the recorder continues walking)_

_(cut to the recorder observing a window. It is open, and the curtains are fluttering from a cold breeze. The recorder suddenly bursts into a run, climbs back over the gate, and sprints down the direction from which he or she came. End videotape)_

* * *

_**02:39:19 P.M.**_

_(begin videotape. The recorder is at another house)_

_(cut to the recorder climbing over the backyard gate as he or she did at the previous home. Wandering into the backyard, he or she approaches a door leading into the house and sets down the camera. The camera records the person, who has a male build, is wearing a black jacket and blue jeans, and whose face isn't seen; he is picking the lock of the door. Successfully opening it, the man retrieves the camera and wanders inside)_

_(cut to the recorder walking up the staircase and approaching a door)_

_(cut to the recorder opening the door and walking inside. It is a bedroom, as evidence by a single bed that is currently occupied by Adyson. End videotape)_

* * *

_**02:39:57 P.M.**_

_(begin videotape again. The camera is still facing Adyson. Movement is suddenly heard, and the camera twirls around to record a person wearing a dark-colored hoodie attack the recorder. Adyson's scream is heard. End videotape)_

* * *

**A/N:** And we have the return of the camera POV! Who do you think was the cameraman or camerawoman? And what do you think is going on?

Because of the current progress this story is making, the story will end at around 50-52 chapters. Yes, very long.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (can't answer reviews, sorry):

**Robot Wolf 26Z**

**Billy Arratoon (guest reviewer)**

**Flying Liberty**

**henryleland**

**woodland5 (guest reviewer)**

**TheNargana**

**MonkeyLover422**

**AuthorD**

**Anonymous (guest reviewer)**

**Galaxina-the-Seedrian**

**humanusscriptor**

**Noldea (guest reviewer)**

**random guy (guest reviewer)**

**shadowayn**

**Yarthayaj'knaushtavdhladleklwa**

**thedoraemons7**

Well, hope you enjoyed this mysterious chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	46. Truth's Message, Part 2

**A/N:** Before I begin this chapter, I am pleased to announce the winner of my fanfiction contest: ... ... ...

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**WOODLAND5!**

Yes, that's right, woodland5, your idea has been chosen to be written by yours truly! I will start production of the story after I conclude this one.

So, congratulations! Give a round of applause for woodland5! *stands up and claps*

As for everyone else who participated in the contest, better luck next time. :P

...

Nah, just kidding, you all get rewards too, in the form of cyber cookies! You all deserve them! And also, if I can find an opportunity, clever references to ideas sent by other participants in woodland5's idea. I can't guarantee that all of the the ideas will be referenced, though.

Again, congratulations woodland5! I honestly can't wait till you get your own account! You've been a great reviewer (partially why I chose your idea, sorry guys), and I can't wait to see what ideas you have in your own imaginative mind! :D :D :D

Enough of this chitchat! ENJOY!

* * *

_**Sweetwater Camera POV  
****December 31, 2015  
11:48:30 P.M.**_

_(begin videotape. Adyson is looking at the camera screen, and then turns it around to record the New Year's celebration, which is currently awkwardly silent. Phineas, Anabel, Baljeet, Buford, Django, and several other kids are the other attendants. The setting is Isabella's house)_

**Buford:** _(clearing throat)_ So, Dinner Bell...how was the loony bin?

**Anabel:** Buford!

**Phineas:** It's okay, Anabel. The facility was fine, Byoof. Not the most sanitary living condition I've seen, but I managed to get through it, and I managed to find some good friends.

_(several of the miscellaneous kids wave. Phineas looks at Adyson)_

Hey, Addie. How're you holding up there?

**Adyson:** Well, Joyce is still not talking to me, or my parents. I feel as though I keep seeing Ben all the time around me. And I've been having really strange dreams. But other than those things, which practically happen on a daily basis, I'm fine. I'm quite fine.

**Django:** Dreams? What kind of dreams, Addie?

**Adyson:** Well, last night, I had this weird dream that someone was taking pictures of me in my bed, like I'm some sort of porn star, and then someone in a hoodie flies at him and beats him up. Then the guy with the camera scares the other guy off and flashes something at me, definitely not the camera. Next thing I know, I'm waking up late in the noon. I must've slept too late...

**Baljeet:** That's quite an odd dream.

**Adyson:** Yeah...

_(cut to the camera facing Adyson again; she is wearing a curious expression on her face)_

**Adyson:** Weird thing here, I'm pretty sure I threw this camera away in the trash. I don't know why I still have it, or why I'm recording right now. ...This is the first time I have been recording something since...

_(silence)_

**Baljeet:** Addie, maybe you're still so wracked with guilt over what Ben did that you recording our New Year's celebration-

**Buford:** If you can call _this_ a celebration...

**Baljeet:** -is a way to cope with it. But I think you should just move on, Addie. It's been over six months now, and I think it's time you got over it. Everyone else has.

**Adyson:** Really?

**Baljeet:** Okay, we're still doing some coping, but honestly, I think you recording this will bring back haunting memories. Just turn off the camera.

**Adyson:** Well...I guess you're right... Alright, I'll turn it off...

_(Adyson turns the camera slightly to look out of a nearby window. Fireworks suddenly explode, briefly illuminating a person who is standing directly outside of the window; he or she is wearing a Guy Fawkes mask. When the fireworks explode again, the person is gone)_

**Django:** Wow, look out those fireworks.

**Phineas:** Man, I wish Ferb were here to see this...

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**_January 13, 2016  
07:38:56 A.M._**

_(begin videotape. Adyson is looking into the camera, and she looks extremely sleepy. The setting is her bedroom)_

_(cut to Adyson hearing the doorbell ring. She goes out of her bedroom and walks down the stairs)_

_(cut to Adyson opening the front door. No one is standing there. No one is on the street except a person wearing a large hat. The camera looks down and there is an envelope lying on the doormat. Adyson picks it up and reads the single word that is written on the front)_

**Adyson:** TruthWGlasses?

_(cut to Adyson closing the door)_

_(cut to Adyson sitting down on the kitchen table and tearing upon the envelope, taking out its contents: a photo and half of a piece of paper)_

_(cut to Adyson recording the photo. It is of a field during the daytime; there are cirrus clouds with a mammatus cloud formation in the sky, and rays of sunlight are shining through the clouds, creating a beautiful and peaceful sight. A gardenia flower is lying in the sea of field grass. Someone appeared to be in the distance)_

_(cut to Adyson recording the note)_

**Adyson:** One last mystery to solve. Follow me. Don't go alone. **061615 061616** Close out the year the right way. No more fire. Just water. ...Huh? What the hell?...

_(a window suddenly shatters. The camera turns around and records the same person wearing the large hat climbing into the house. Adyson grabs the note and the photo and runs to the garage. Opening the garage door, she runs outside and starts sprinting down the sidewalk. End videotape)_

* * *

_**01:17:56 P.M.**_

_(begin videotape. Adyson is sitting in the passenger seat of Katie's car)_

**Phineas:** _(off-screen) _One last mystery to solve.

_(the camera faces Phineas. Django is sitting beside him.)_

Follow me. Don't go alone. **061615 061616** Close out the year the right way. No more fire. Just water. Well, the numbers are obviously symbolizing dates. The first set symbolizes the date the shooting occurred, and the second set is supposed to be for the shooting's first anniversary. But that's all that I know. Do you know what everything else is supposed to mean, Addie?

**Adyson:** No. But I think the writer of that letter is trying to tell me something. Something about the shooting... One last mystery to solve... Maybe he knows something that the public doesn't about the massacre? But why does he want to show it to me and me only?

**Django:** Well, you've been in the news a lot. Especially after you exposed the police cover-up. Maybe this person found you worthy to solving this mystery.

**Katie:** And how about 'close out the year the right way'?

**Phineas:** The dates shown are exactly one year apart. Maybe whatever this mystery is, it'll shed light on everything.

**Katie:** Well, whatever that crap means, we'll find out soon. We're here.

_(Adyson faces the camera out of her side window, recording a vast field)_

_(cut to the four getting out of Katie's car and walking across the field)_

**Katie:** I don't understand why you have to record this, Addie...

**Adyson:** This is just in case-

**Katie:** Oh, please don't say that! Judging by what you've told us about what went down at your house, it sounds as if we're gonna die...

**Phineas:** _No one_ is gonna die, Katie. Let's just find whatever it is this TruthWGlasses fella wants us to find, leave with it if we can, and get on our way.

_(cut. The foursome is already in the middle of the field. Adyson turns the camera upward to record the sky; there are a few clouds in the sky)_

**Adyson:** You sure this is the field, Katie? There's a whole lot of nothing around here...

**Katie:** This is the only field in the Tri-State Area that's as wide as the one in that photo.

_(cut to Adyson recording Phineas, Django, and Katie)_

**Adyson:** Come to think of it...this field kinda looks _familiar_...

**Phineas:** Familiar? How?

**Adyson:** I don't know if it's exactly the same field, but while the police were showing us Ben's tapes, there was one tape where Ben and Tyler were testing out those military-grade weapons they used in the shooting. The tape was shot during the nighttime, though, so I can't tell...

**Phineas:** Maybe there might be some spent shell casings that we can find here.

**Katie:** How are we supposed to find shell casings in a field as big as this? It's like finding a needle in _three_ haystacks!

**Django:** Actually...I think I've already found one. _(holds up his hand, which is holding a large casing)_

**Katie:** Wow. What're the odds?

_(cut to Adyson recording the casing. It is extremely large)_

**Phineas:** That's one big casing. Maybe it came from that machine gun they used.

**Katie:** Wait, how exactly is finding a shell casing supposed to help? The police tried to trace the casings, but found nothing!

**Django:** But the cover-up was still in effect at the time. Judging by how things are going, it seems that the officers involved in the cover-up might've disposed of all the evidence, since we haven't heard any announcement that the military-grade weapons were traced back. But now, all of the officers involved in the cover-up are dead or arrested, and new officers have taken their place.

**Phineas:** _(smiling)_ And if we show that casing to the police, maybe they might find who supplied those weapons to those shooters!

**Adyson:** Well, what're we waiting for? Let's get back to the car!

**Katie:** Hello? Are you okay?

**Adyson:** Huh?

_(the camera turns and records a person wearing a large hat)_

**Adyson:** Oh, God. THAT'S HIM, THAT'S HIM! **RUN, RUN, RUN**!

_(the camera suddenly drops to the ground and records the four running away, pursued by the hat-wearing man)_

_(cut to over an hour later. Someone picks up the camera and walks down the field)_

_(cut to the person approaching Katie's car, which is now in the middle of the lonely parking lot, unoccupied, engine still running. The person opens the passenger door, places the camera on the dashboard, and then closes the door)_

_(cut to the car suddenly moving; someone is driving it)_

_(cut to a montage of the car driving through a road in the forest, then through a highway, and finally reentering Danville)_

_(cut to the car stopping in front of Adyson's house. The window the hat-wearing man broke through appears to be repaired, but the front door is open)_

_(cut to the person retrieving the camera and getting out of the car. The person walks into the house and finds Adyson's body strewn on the living room floor. He or she quickly searches through her clothes, then puts down the camera next to her. A part of the person's mask can be seen; he is wearing a Guy Fawkes mask. End videotape)_

* * *

_**February 28, 2016  
****12:50:10 P.M.**_

_(begin videotape. Django is holding the camera, wearing a curious expression on his face. He then exits the room he is in and enters a living room, where Adyson is sitting with Joyce, attempting to play dolls with her, but not getting any response from her sister)_

**Django:** Addie?

**Adyson:** _(looking at Django)_ Yeah? _(eyes widen)_ Where'd you find that?

**Django:** I don't know. I found it in a closet in my bedroom. Why? Is it yours?

**Adyson:** Yeah! But I threw it away in a trash can last Thanksgiving!

_(Adyson stands up and retrieves the camera)_

Why is it recording?

**Django:** I thought I'd just turn it on, see whatever could be on there-

**Joyce:** _(off-screen)_ Is that Ben's old camera?

**Adyson:** No, it's my camera, Joyce. Django, how'd you get this?!

**Django:** I don't know! I just found it in my closet!

**Adyson:** Are you sure?!

**Django:** I don't go through your trash, Addie! How could I?

**Adyson:** Well- _(sigh)_ I'm sorry, Django. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I'll...I'll just get rid of this...

**Django:** Okay...

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**_February 29, 2016  
04:49:29 A.M._**

_(begin videotape. The person wearing the Guy Fawkes mask is looking at the camera. He then turns the camera around and records the Sweetwater house)_

_(cut to the person setting down the camera on the doorstep. End videotape)_

* * *

**_04:29:10 P.M._**

_(begin videotape. Joyce is recording)_

**Joyce:** Hi, Ben. I know you can't hear me, but just know that I love you! I love you so much! You played dolls and tea with me, and you were very nice to me, and stuff. I don't care what people say about you, I love you, Ben! Hopefully God fixes you and sends you back down here so we can play again.

**Adyson:** Joyce, who are you talking to?-

_(the camera turns around and records Adyson, whose eyes widen)_

**Adyson:** Joyce! Where did you GET that?

**Joyce:** I found it at the doorstep- HEY!

_(the camera suddenly spins; Adyson has grabbed it away from Joyce)_

**Adyson:** I told you not to lie to me, Joyce! You were going through the trash can, weren't you?!

**Joyce:** No, Addie! I found it at the doorstep, I'm telling the truth!

**Adyson:** Joyce, what did Mom and Dad tell you about going through trash?

**Joyce:** There might be sharp stuff or bad animals in there, I know! But it was sitting on the doorstep, please Addie!

**Adyson:** I told you to stop lying to me, Joyce!

**Joyce:** Well, _you_ lied to me about how Ben got broken, so we're even!

_(silence)_

**Adyson:** Get outta here, Joyce. Go to your room!

**Joyce:** You can't tell me what to do, Addie, you're not Mom!

**Adyson:** I know, I'm not Mom. But she's not home, and neither is Dad. So _I_ am telling you to go to your room. NOW.

_(Joyce yells out and stomps away)_

_(cut to Adyson sighing angrily and turning around to see two people, one wearing a trench-coat and a hat, the other a cap, sunglasses, a scarf, and a cloth over his mouth. End videotape)_

* * *

**A/N:** CLIFFHANGER AGAIN! I know, I'm evil.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (can't answer reviews right now, sorry):

**Galaxina-the-Seedrian**

**woodland5 (guest reviewer)**

**MonkeyLover422**

**sonicboy678**

**AuthorD**

**Flying Liberty**

**random guy (guest reviewer)**

**The Magic Catgirl**

**Proxus**

**Da Darkest Knight**

**cutie1997 (guest reviewer)**

**Veebeejustte (guest reviewer)**

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	47. Cousins Fletcher, Part 3

_**Eliza Camera POV  
**__**January 13, 2016  
****01:27:40 P.M.**_

_(begin videotape. Eliza is looking at the camera, which is sitting in the passenger seat of her car. She appears to be driving down a road. She suddenly stops, quickly retrieves the camera, and gets out of the car, which is in front of another car, from which Phineas, Adyson, Django, and Katie get out)_

**Phineas:** Eliza? What're you doing here?

**Eliza:** Quickly, get in!

**Adyson:** What the hell's going on here, Eliza?

**Eliza:** I'll explain later, just-

_(the camera turns around, just as a man wearing a large hat attacks her. The camera falls to the ground and records the feet of Eliza and her assailant as they struggle. The others then join in, and a few minutes later, the man falls to the ground, motionless, and the camera is retrieved)_

**Katie:** Oh my God, is everyone okay?

**Django:** Yeah, we're good. We're good...

**Phineas:** Who in the world is this guy? What does he want with a shell casing?

**Adyson:** Maybe it's one of the officers involved in the cover-up conspiracy. Maybe not all of them were arrested-

**Eliza:** _(off-screen, she is the one recording)_ No.

**Adyson:** No? What do you mean by 'no'?

**Phineas:** What're you even doing back in the U.S., Eliza? I thought you went back home to Britain with your family when Ferb recovered from his coma! I saw you leave with them!

**Eliza:** I just returned yesterday.

**Django:** And we so happened to come across you at the field while we're being chased by a guy who's after a shell casing? You look like you know something!

**Eliza:** I do know something. It's about TruthWGlasses.

**Adyson:** TruthWGlasses? You know something about TruthWGlasses?

**Eliza:** Yeah. But first, we gotta get him outta here. _(records the hat-wearing man's motionless body)_ The others cannot know that we have the casing.

**Phineas:** There are more of them?

**Eliza:** That's exactly what I said.

_(cut to Eliza, Phineas, and Django carrying off the body into a nearby brush)_

_(cut to them approaching Adyson and Katie)_

**Adyson:** Great. I dropped my camera back there. _(points off at the field)_

**Eliza:** Forget it. We have to go now.

**Katie:** Okay, Eliza, you take the lead, and the rest of us will follow in my car-

**Eliza:** We're not taking your car.

**Katie:** WHAT?! Won't those guys find it and use it to find my address?

**Eliza:** Judging by the progress you guys have already made, they already know your addresses. Every one of yours. You're gonna have to come with me. I'm staying at a hotel. You guys have the shell casing, right?

**Phineas:** Yeah.

**Eliza:** Good. Let's go.

**Katie:** Great. I spent five grand on my car...

_(end videotape)_

* * *

_**08:39:20 P.M.**_

_(begin videotape. Eliza, Adyson, Phineas, Django, and Katie are all inside a hotel room)_

**Phineas:** Okay, Eliza, we're all alone. What the hell's going on here? Our parents are gonna worry about where we are-

**Eliza:** I've already taken care of that, Phineas. As for what's going on, it's very complicated, and I'll try my best to make all of the details as general as possible.

**Adyson:** Start by telling me of what you know aboutTruthWGlasses. Do you know who he is?

**Eliza:** Sorta. I have my suspicions, but I don't think it can be confirmed.

**Phineas:** So? Who do you think TruthWGlasses is?

**Eliza:** _(sighs)_ One of my brothers. Beckham. The one wearing the half-moon-shaped glasses.

**Django:** One of your brothers?

**Eliza:** Yeah. The glasses part should've been a real eye-opener.

**Adyson:** Now it is. How'd you figure that out, Eliza?

**Eliza:** Well, Beckham was also my neighbor in an apartment we shared, so I observed a strange turn in his behavior that began recently. Then, I found something on a MyTube channel he was using, which was marked 'TruthWGlasses'. It was videos of you guys, and also news footage of that shooting. And finally, I found that he had suddenly gone back to America. I had a nagging feeling that he seemed to have ill intentions, so I followed him back here. During the trip there, I got a phone call from him, saying that he wasn't coming back till he found the shell casing and exposed the truth. I didn't get any more details from him since he hung up on me.

**Katie:** But your brother wants us to find that shell casing, according to that strange letter he sent to Addie? Why doesn't he just get it himself?

**Eliza:** That, I'm not exactly sure. I'm fearful that he might have direct connections to what had happened to you guys last year. However, he's obviously confident that you can commit the task for him, Addie. After all, you were the one who uncovered that police conspiracy. In his eyes, you can find the last clue that can bring closure for the entire Tri-State Area.

**Adyson:** But that guy with the hat, why is he attacking me?

**Eliza:** He obviously doesn't want the shell casing being shown to the police so they can trace it. He could be working for, or might _be_ the guy who sold those festival shooters the military-grade weapons they used. He probably doesn't wanna go down for being an accessory to murder. As for my brother and how he's involved, and what his intentions for that shell casing are...I fear the worst...

**Phineas:** It's okay, Eliza. We'll find out what Beckham's after. For now, we gotta show that shell casing to the police. Let's see if that'll provoke a response from either Beckham or the other guy that's after it.

**Eliza:** _(nodding)_ Yeah. Let's do that.

_(Eliza stands up and looks out of the window. Phineas looks at the camera)_

**Phineas:** What's up with the camera, Eliza?

**Eliza:** Just in case. _(looks back at the group)_ We gotta go.

**Adyson:** We're going? Why?

**Eliza:** We just gotta. Those guys could be here any minute. Come on, we have to go, we have to go...

_(Eliza walks up to the camera and retrieves it)_

_(cut to Eliza running down the hotel stairs, followed by the others)_

**Django:** W-Why are we running?

**Eliza:** We just gotta go!

_(cut to the group running to Eliza's car and getting inside. The audio suddenly goes out when Eliza activates the headlights, illuminating a person wearing a Guy Fawkes mask. The screen goes out. End videotape)_

* * *

_**Sweetwater Camera POV  
**__**December 25, 2014  
**__**11:51:52 P.M.**_

_(begin videotape. The camera is mounted on a tripod, recording Ben as he takes Randy's firearms to a lonely hill.)_

_(cut to a montage of Ben firing his weapons at a tree)_

_(cut to Ben approaching the camera after several minutes)_

**Ben:** Goddamn it, it's SO hard to let go...

_(cut to Ben hearing a twig snap. He removes the camera from the tripod and observes the landscape)_

**Ben:** Hello? _Hello_? Tyler, is that you? Damn it, Tyler, stop messing with me!

_(cut to Ben walking down the hill)_

**Ben:** Hello? Anyone there?

_(silence, except for a cricket chirping)_

**Ben:** Damn it, I shouldn't have fired my guns- _(records a man wearing a large trench-coat and a large hat) _Hey, who the fuck are you!

_(footsteps are heard, and the camera spins as Ben is tackled to the ground)_

_(cut to the man in the trench-coat and a man wearing a cap, sunglasses, and scarf with a cloth over his face kneeling beside Ben. The latter takes out a knife and prepares to kill Ben, but the two men suddenly look up. Then, the hat-wearing man fires a laser at Ben, and both run off, leaving behind an unconscious Ben. End videotape)_

* * *

**A/N:** So, it appears these guys have been around even BEFORE the massacre? What do you think is going on now?

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (cannot answer reviews now, sorry):

**humanusscriptor**

**woodland5 (guest reviewer)**

**MonkeyLover422**

**Da Darkest Knight**

**AuthorD**

**Flying Liberty**

**Guest reviewer**

**sonicboy678**

**shadowayn**

**random guy (guest reviewer)**

**tigerevans**

**cutie1997 (guest reviewer)**

**Galaxina-the-Seedrian**

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	48. Time Travel, Part 4

**A/N:** Sorry for the slightly long wait, folks! But here we are, the chapter that'll answer EVERYTHING that's been happening the past few chapters. :D :D :D :D :D

* * *

_**Sweetwater Camera POV  
December 25, 2014  
11:55:02 P.M.**_

_(begin videotape. The camera is recording a glimpse of two figures running down a hill and into a nearby forest)_

**Eliza:** Hey, this camera's working.

**Adyson:** _Ben_?

_(the camera turns to record Adyson kneeling at the side of an unconscious Ben)_

**Phineas:** What the? How's Ben still alive? W-Where _are_ we?

**Eliza:** Oh my... The camera says the date is December 25 of _2014_...

**Django:** We traveled back almost _two years_ in the past?!

**Katie:** OMG, OMG, **OMG**! HOW ARE WE GONNA GET BACK TO OUR REAL TIMELINE?! I DON'T WANNA DIE HERE!

**Eliza:** SHHH! Be _quiet_! We'll get ourselves outta this mess-

**Phineas:** How in the world were we able to travel back in time, without the time machine back at the museum? I mean, the moment we saw that guy wearing the odd mask in front of Eliza's car, we suddenly find ourselves lying on this hill a few seconds later!

**Django:** Whatever happened, it's gotta do with that mask-wearing guy. It has to be.

_(cut to Adyson continuing to look at the unconscious Ben)_

**Adyson:** ...I can't believe I am back here. In a time where Ben's still alive... _(strokes Ben's hair gently)_ Whatever happened, it had to be for a reason... _(eyes widen)_ Oh. My. God. We're in a time before the festival massacre happened! Maybe we can take advantage of this to prevent the massacre from ever _happening_!

**Phineas:** Y-Yeah... _Yeah_... That's what we can do! My mom, Isabella, Wendy, and all the others won't have to be dead, the Tri-State Area doesn't have to be scarred for life, and we can all live in peace! The nightmare will never happen!

**Eliza:** Hold on, guys... I have a bad feeling about this time-changing thing...

**Phineas:** Come on, Eliza! If we do this, then Ferb wouldn't be in prison! Your brother wouldn't be acting strangely! Things will be back to the way they used to be!

**Django:** Actually, Phineas... I have a bad feeling too... There's something not right... What if we set off something even more tragic-

**Adyson:** Django, we won't know unless we actually TRY! I mean, what's the worst that can happen? Phineas went back in time before; it all turned out okay, didn't it?

**Django:** I...I _guess_...

**Eliza:** Great, this camera's running out of tape.

**Adyson:** Hey, I think I see another tape in Ben's pock-

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**_Sweetwater Camera POV  
November 26, 2015  
12:28:29 P.M._**

_(begin videotape. The camera is recording the ruins of a city as the remnants of a mushroom cloud continued to disperse through the sky. The camera then turns around to record Adyson Prime's face; her hair has grown longer, there was blood streaked across her face, and her eyes looked fanatical)_

**Adyson Prime:** I was _wrong_. ...I was _so_ wrong. I shouldn't have tried to change the timeline. ...I _shouldn't_ have... Now...everyone is _dead_. Mom, Dad, Joyce, all of my friends, Ben, all of Danville..._myself_...maybe all of the _world_... I should've known that exposing Ben's plans would've led to a chain reaction that triggered nuclear war... I _should've_... I should've known that sometimes...the worst of things happen for a _reason_...

_(cut)_

But for some reason, I am still _here_... I was able to watch all of the changes Django, Phineas, Katie, Eliza, and I brought. The others have disappeared, affected by the changes we brought, but me... I did NOT. That probably means something...

_(turns the camera to record the museum she is in. The camera settles onto the time machine)_

The thing still works. I'm gonna go back in time to stop myself from preventing the massacre. But I cannot let myself see _me_... It might lead to consequences...

_(puts on a Guy Fawkes mask)_

I know who I am now. Wish me luck.

_(end videotape)_

* * *

_**December 25, 2014  
12:00:36 P.M.**_

_(begin videotape. The camera is recording Ben's unconscious body)_

**Eliza:** Alright, we're recording again.

**Phineas:** Okay. So, what should we do? We obviously take Ben back to your home, safe and sound, Addie, but how are we gonna prove to the world that he and his friends were planning this festival massacre?

**Adyson:** He and his friends recorded the process of their planning. We expose those tapes to the police.

_(cut)_

**Django:** Uh..._guys_?

**Katie:** Wha- Oh my God...

_(the camera spins around to record a person wearing a Guy Fawkes mask. The screen suddenly goes black. End videotape)_

* * *

**_December 31, 2014  
11:39:12 A.M._**

_(begin videotape. The camera is recording Adyson Prime, whose Guy Fawkes mask is slung over her shoulder. The setting appears to be a forest)_

**Adyson Prime:** Okay... Apparently, I'm still _here_. I haven't disappeared yet. _(chuckles)_ Seriously, what the hell? What else do I have to do? I have already prevented myself from changing the timeline! The massacre will happen in about six months! But why do I have to bear witness to everything that's gonna happen before then? In another hour, Ben's gonna find those military-grade weapons... What else am I supposed to _do_?! HUH?!

_(looks down, beginning to weep)_

What am I supposed to do?...

_(end videotape)_

* * *

_(begin a long montage of videos. First, they are focused on Danville, recording the downtown area and the suburban neighborhoods. Then, it starts to expand into recordings of the rest of the Tri-State Area, including forests, monuments, and parks. Next, it turns into recordings of the rest of the country, including cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Washington D.C., as well as locations like Mount Rushmore, Death Valley, and the Golden Gate Bridge)_

* * *

_**November 26, 2015  
06:57:20 P.M.**_

_(begin videotape. The camera records Adyson prime, who is wearing her Guy Fawkes mask. She hastily removes it, revealing that she had aged unusually fast into a woman and was now in her early twenties)_

**Adyson Prime:** Okay, so, as you can see, I'm still here. I haven't disappeared yet. I think I know why. See, while I was traveling abroad, trying to find a good reason explaining my continued existence, I remembered the things from the tapes I recovered prior to the time-traveling incident, tapes that I have long since disposed of. It it was _I_ who kept delivering the camera back to myself. I came to this conclusion...

_(records the original Adyson discarding her camera in the trash)_

I'm supposed to kick off the time-traveling incident, to ensure that the timeline flows smoothly. _(chuckles)_ Who knows? I might find out some more things I've been very curious about, like what the hell happened to Milly.

But one thing's for sure: for some reason, not only am I the guy wearing the Guy Fawkes mask...I am _TruthWGlasses_. Mind-boggling isn't it?

_(cut to the camera recording herself)_

Well, I guess I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. _(wears the mask)_ Again, wish me luck. ...Who the hell am I talking to? Heh. I've gone crazy!

_(end videotape)_

* * *

**_January 13, 2016  
08:43:20 P.M._**

_(begin videotape. Adyson Prime is standing in the parking lot of the hotel. She removes her mask)_

**Adyson Prime:** Well...I've done my job. I sent myself back in time. Now, I guess this is the time where I disappear. _(chuckles)_ I thank you, camera, for being my friend for this entire fiasco. _(chuckles again)_ Hopefully this is painless.

_(cut)_

Okay, so...it's taking some time. Maybe my past self hasn't done the deed yet. Maybe I have to wait for all of these stupid temporal processes to sort themselves out. Maybe my past other self, or other past self, or future past self, or whatever, has yet to stop my past self from preventing the festival massacre from happening... God, this is SO confusing! _(starts laughing insanely)_

_(cut)_

I'm _waiting_...

_(cut)_

Well, while we wait, I guess you'd like to learn a couple more things I found out, camera, while you were temporarily out of business. Just in case...

_(cut)_

Well, first thing's first, I think I found out what happened to Milly. It appears that her PTSD from the shooting triggered an induction of dissociative personality disorder as a defense mechanism. Because she's so afraid of the outside world and its dangers, this personality of hers was meant to be motivation to go outside, and also to defend herself against anything and everything. Additionally, it appears that these two strange guys are taking advantage of her for their own deeds.

And no, I didn't manage to find out who the hell those guys were. But I have a really bad feeling about 'em...

_(cut)_

As for a little confusion with Eliza's brother Beckham being TruthWGlasses...that was my doing as well. I don't know why the timeline wanted her to become involved (that is, if the timeline's supposed to be a sentient being), but I had to make sure everything flowed smoothly. So, I created a MyTube channel focusing on soccer to draw his attention. Once I got it, I sent him a fake free ticket to a soccer game in the Tri-State Area. Then, I posted the videos of my encounters.

I felt kinda sorry for him, setting him up as a red herring. But I'm not gonna let the timeline cave in on itself.

_(cut)_

And finally, what happened to my past self. I was able to send her back in time because constant exposure to time-traveling gave me some powers of my own, which include the induction of amnesia, which I used on her and her friends. _(sigh)_

_(cut)_

Well, that's it. And...I'm still here. What. The. Fuck?

_(a twig snaps, and Adyson Prime turns around to see the trench-coat-wearing man and the cap-wearing man standing a few yards away from her. She grabs the camera and begins running. End videotape)_

* * *

_**July 15, 2016  
Present day**_

Phineas watched the recordings in shock and horror.

* * *

**A/N:** Has your brain been fried yet? Even my mind was. Damn, even _I_ can't understand myself!

There are still some questions that are unanswered, so don't feel confused.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (cannot answer reviews right now, sorry):

**woodland5 (guest reviewer)**

**humanusscriptor**

**MonkeyLover422**

**shadowayn**

**TheNargana**

**AuthorD**

**random guy (guest reviewer)**

**tigerevans**

**Da Darkest Knight**

**DipperLikesMinecraft**

**Flying Liberty**

**Galaxina-the-Seedrian**

**Proxus**

**MsAmiClassified**

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	49. Back to the Present, Part 1

**A/N:** Before I begin, I would like to explain something back at the last chapter. It's true, I am using the time machine as a minor plot device for Part III. I was originally planning to use it for an alternate ending, but after a while, I felt that it was a little too mechanical for me, so I just incorporated it into the story proper. And after all, just because I'm aiming for a realistic tone doesn't mean I must ignore the stuff from the show, right?

Alright, enough ranting. ENJOY!

**P.S.:** Also, pray to all of those affected in Oklahoma. It may not have been the work of a lunatic (thank God for that), but everyone there needs the prayers.

* * *

_**July 16, 2015**_  
_**Nine hours before the massacre**_

Sitting on a sofa downstairs, Ben tapped the barrel of one of his father's handguns uneasily. He then pressed the gun's magazine catch and pulled out the fully-loaded magazine. Inspecting it out of boredom, he then loaded it back in expertly. The teenager then glanced at the two bags Tyler had given him; both were stuffed with his uncle's firearms, all of them. He sighed, stood up, and stuffed the pistol away in one of the bags before returning to the sofa and sitting down. Ben leaned against the sofa, just as he heard the bed directly above him on the upper floor creak, its occupant likely turning over to the other side. He then glanced at a pair of photos.

One was of him with his parents, Adyson, and her parents when he was eleven years old. His Aunt Kathy was three months pregnant with Joyce at the time. Everyone, including him, looked happy and content in each other's company. Ben smiled fondly, remembering that it was Adyson's tenth birthday at the time, as evidenced by the silly birthday hat strapped on her head. He also remembered that it was that time he first met Adyson's friends, including the ever-famous Phineas and Ferb.

The other was of him with Adyson, Joyce, and his uncle and aunt, just a couple of weeks after he first moved in with them following the deaths of his parents. Everyone looked happy and content in each other's company, just like the previous photo. That is, except him. In the photo, he was flashing a rather ugly frown at the unknown photographer. There was a great contrast between the Bens in both photos.

Sighing again, Ben stood up, moved the two bags further behind a piano his uncle owned, and then silently made his way upstairs. He knew that today was the day he would die, after doing the lowest and most inhuman of acts. So, he might as well spend his last early morning by looking at the family he had left while they slept.

First, he stopped by his uncle and aunt's room. However, the door was locked, and Ben didn't want to enter anyway. He knew that his uncle kept an AR-15 assault rifle under the bed, a gun he didn't want to retrieve for his comrades since his uncle treasured it the most and would know if it went missing. And if he entered the room, all he'd get as a welcoming present was a nice spray of automatic gunfire. So, he just stared at the door, hearing his uncle's snores loudly emanating through the wood. Ben placed a hand on it softly, lowered his head in sorrow, and then resumed his trek.

Next was Joyce's room. Unlike his uncle and aunt's room, the door was unlocked, and Ben opened it slowly. He was greeted with the adorable sight of Joyce sleeping on her bed, tightly clutching her Ducky Momo doll.

Ben sat down on a toy chair, ironically the very same chair he would sit on whenever he played with Joyce's tea-set. It was uncomfortable since it was a bit too small for him, but it didn't matter to him anymore. It'd be the last time he'd sit on it.

Gently, the teenager began stroking his cousin's hair. Registering the fact that Joyce looked extremely like Adyson, Ben began to remember a memory in which he and Adyson were left to babysit Joyce, during the time that he had recognized his feelings for his own cousin. Both had a lot of fun playing parents for a day, as did Joyce. They felt like a family of their own that day...

"Ben?..." Joyce's eyes had fluttered open. "Ben, why are you up so early? Is it Christmas again?"

Ben smiled sadly; even if he had been depressed, he had always loved how innocent Joyce was.

"No, Joyce, you're just dreaming," he replied. He didn't want Joyce to know that she had seen her cousin for the last time, and on the day he would die, nonetheless.

"I'm dreaming? Then why aren't there any pretty unicorns and rainbows and stuff?"

Ben laughed quietly. "Not all dreams end up like that, Joyce."

"Okay. But why am I dreaming about you?"

Ben bit his lip, not expecting that question. Then, his mind began to formulate something, one last act of kindness he would commit before plunging into madness.

"Joyce," he explained, "you are dreaming about me because I have something to tell you. It's something you should live by, even if you're not dreaming."

"What is it, Ben?"

"You're a good person, Joyce. Don't let _anything_ change that."

Joyce smiled. "Okay. That's easy."

Ben smiled back warmly. "That's good to hear, Joyce. Now, I need you to close your eyes again. You will wake up soon. And, uh...when you wake up, go tell your mom that you wanna go to the park today. Have a lot of fun."

"Okay, I'll do that, Ben. I'll close my eyes now." Joyce prepared to close them when she added, "I love you, Ben."

Tears slid down Ben's eyes, but he replied calmly, "I love you too, Joyce."

Patting Joyce on the forehead as she continued to sleep, Ben stood up, looked at her for a few seconds, and then silently left the bedroom.

Finally, Ben came across the bedroom he shared with Adyson. He quietly opened the door and tiptoed inside. There, he found Adyson still sleeping. The moonlight was shining through the window, bathing her face and giving her rosy skin a pearly glow. She looked like an angel...

Ben sighed and knelt down, looking into Adyson's face more closely. Ever since he had kissed her and confessed his feelings for her, she had suddenly forgotten about the event, an act that Ben knew was denial. And that served as his last rejection. His parents, the ones who loved him the most, were killed while he was driving on a public street for the first time. He went off to live with his uncle and aunt. They both cared, but they had jobs that they frequently had to attend to. He had Joyce with him, but she didn't know a thing about death, and therefore, her optimism and innocence proved to be of little help.

And then, there was his longtime friend and cousin, Adyson. _She_ understood his feelings. _She_ cared for him the most. **She** was always there for him in a time of need. He didn't know why, but after a few days since he moved into Adyson's, he started to enjoy her company more and more. His trauma from the deaths of his parents was staved off by the mere sight of her face, her warm smile. It was a few months later that he realized the feelings he had for her. And he soon came to accept them.

But now, she rejected him. ...And Ben was okay with it.

He knew it would never work. He knew that if Adyson returned his feelings, they'd be treated like pariahs, and he didn't want that happening to her. He knew she was better off with Django, whom Adyson had a crush on, and whom he knew had a crush on her. They were the couple that he always envisioned he'd be with her...

And if he knew that if he were to live knowing he'd never be loved again...then he'd rather die.

"Goodbye, Addie," Ben said, kissing her forehead once and then leaning his head against hers lovingly. Fortunately for him, she stirred slightly, but didn't wake up.

* * *

_**July 15, 2016**_  
_**Present day**_  
_**1 day before the anniversary**_

"No, that's NOT enough!" screamed Randy Sweetwater, pointing at an officer accusingly while his wife Kathy held him back. "I want you to find my daughter alive, and the bastards that took her as well! That way I'd give 'em a damn piece of mind!"

"Calm down, Mr. Sweetwater, we're working on it-" began the officer.

"YOU KEEP SAYING THAT, AND YET, WHERE THE HELL'S MY **DAUGHTER**?!"

Phineas watched sadly as Randy continued to yell at the unflinching policeman. He instinctively glanced at his side, expecting to see Ferb there, but when he saw only empty air, he sighed, remembering that Ferb had to complete his sentence. It had been so empty without Ferb, and without Anabel...

"Phineas?"

The inventor looked down at Joyce, who was looking up at him with a curious expression on her face. She was close to completing her Lil' Sparks camp trip when police officers had to retrieve her following her sister's kidnapping, out of fear that the kidnappers might be targeting the entire Sweetwater family.

"Yes, Joyce?" replied Phineas.

"Are they gonna find Addie?" Joyce asked.

Phineas sighed and looked up at the sky. "I don't know, Joyce. I just...don't know..."

Joyce hopped up and down determinedly. "Come on, Phineas! You can make awesome stuff! Make something that can find Addie, please!"

"I don't think I can, Joyce. Without Ferb, I can't do it-"

"Phineas, don't let that stop you! Please, Phineas!" She hugged his leg and held on tightly. "_Please_, Phineas! I can't lose Addie like I lost Ben!"

Phineas sighed and looked down at Joyce, who was looking up at him with teary eyes that reached into his soul and tugged at his heartstrings. He remembered when he was ten, and he first met Joyce, then a few months old. Kathy allowed him and the others to look at her, and Phineas, like everyone else, was instantly captivated by the baby. He then remembered Joyce through the years; she had always considered Phineas to be her 'uncle'. And he remembered how doting he was on her.

Continuing to look at Joyce, he knew he couldn't disappoint her. Especially when she was once again thrust in the face of tragedy.

He nodded and replied, "Okay, Joyce. I'll make something." Phineas reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone. "But I'm gonna need some special help..."

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM US?!" screamed Adyson as she looked up at the man wearing the cap and sunglasses.

A couple of minutes was spent in deadly silence, and then, the man removed the cap, sunglasses, and the cloth covering his mouth, revealing the face of a young man around Candace's age, with an unshaven face, blond hair, and gray eyes. His trench-coat-wearing accomplice followed suit, removing his large hat and illuminating the face of a man who was aged similarly to his compatriot, also sporting blond hair, and he was wearing half-moon-shaped glasses. Adyson and Django's eyes widened in surprise as they recognized the two men.

"I've seen you before!" shouted Adyson. "You're that guy who gave Ben those military-grade weapons! You're Jamie!"

"Albert?!" exclaimed Django. "What the hell are you doing, kidnapping us?"

"Sorry, man," Albert replied. "Nothing personal. But we have a plan to commit to. We cannot afford to have any obstacles in our path. Now, if you'll excuse us..."

And with that, Albert and Jamie walked off, leaving Adyson and Django alone with the person wearing the Guy Fawkes mask. Adyson shot the person an angry glare.

"You think you can win with whatever you're doing?!" she screamed. "Think again, 'cause you're gonna lose!"

"Addie...who are you _talking_ to?" Django asked, looking worried.

Adyson looked at Django. "At that guy over there!"

"Uh...what guy?"

Adyson's jaw dropped open as she continued to stare at the masked person. She couldn't believe what was happening.

Was she..._hallucinating_?

"Hello, Adyson," a familiar female voice said. "You're not hallucinating."

"What? How come I'm the only one who can see you then?"

"It's all a complicated matter concerning the flow of the timeline. You wouldn't understand."

"Try me! Tell me! Tell me NOW!"

It was eerily silent. Finally, the masked person removed his or her Guy Fawkes...

Revealing an older face of Adyson Sweetwater.

"You can only see me because...I'm _you_."

Adyson's world suddenly became black.

* * *

Django watched fearfully as Adyson continued talking.

"Hello, Adyson. You're not hallucinating. What? How come I'm the only one who can see you then? It's all a complicated matter concerning the flow of the timeline. You wouldn't understand. Try me! Tell me! Tell me NOW! ...You can only see me because...I'm _you_."

Then, Adyson collapsed to the floor, having fainted.

"ADDIE!" Django screamed, his voice echoing through the walls of the otherwise-empty room.

* * *

**A/N:** So...Adyson Prime might just be a HALLUCINATION? WTF?! XD And who exactly is Phineas's "special help"?

Well, the next chapter might involve more brain-frying, and a possible character death, so brace yourselves, everyone! The end's getting close! ;D ;D ;D

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**TheNargana:** Thank you, thank you very much! :D

**WinnieCocoaFlip:** Yes, that pretty much summarizes the entire chapter.

**woodland5 (guest reviewer)**

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**AuthorD**

**shadowayn:** When the story ends. :P

**random guy (guest reviewer):** I'll get to the explanation of the nuclear war later. I withheld it for a reason. And good assumption!

**tigerevans:** Yes, I know where this story's going. Otherwise I would've stopped at this point.

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**Flying Liberty:** I'll try; I too am confused. :P

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TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	50. Looking, Part 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the song 'Collide', Howie Day does.

* * *

_**July 16, 2015**_  
_**Two hours before the massacre**_

Ben silently sat on the doorstep to the Sweetwater home, listening to his iPod. He was currently alone in the house; Joyce and Randy had gone to the park, just as he hoped the former would, while Kathy had taken Adyson to the Mid-Summer's Festival. The two bags containing all of his uncle's firearms lay behind him. He had spent most of the morning wandering around the house, knowing that today was gonna be his last day on Earth, and if so, then he'd might as well have a last trek through the home he called his for almost a year. A torturous year...

He slowly nodded his head to the sift tune of the song he was listening to, as a tear of sadness slid from his eye and down his cheek. The song's lyrics were in perfect tune to his current situation.

_The dawn is breaking_  
_A light shining through_  
_You're barely waking_  
_And I'm tangled up in you_  
_Yeah_

_I'm open, you're closed_  
_Where I follow, you'll go_  
_I worry I won't see your face_  
_Light up again_

_Even the best fall down sometimes_  
_Even the wrong words seem to rhyme_  
_Out of the doubt that fills my mind_  
_I somehow find_  
_You and I collide_

_I'm quiet you know_  
_You make a first impression_  
_I've found I'm scared to know I'm always on your mind_

_Even the best fall down sometimes_  
_Even the stars refuse to shine_  
_Out of the back you fall in time_  
_I somehow find_  
_You and I collide_

_Don't stop here_  
_I lost my place_  
_I'm close behind_

_Even the best fall down sometimes_  
_Even the wrong words seem to rhyme_  
_Out of the doubt that fills your mind_  
_You finally find_  
_You and I collide_

_You finally find_  
_You and I collide_  
_You finally find_  
_You and I collide_

Just then, over the music, he heard a car horn blare loudly. Ben looked up and saw Andrew's SUV parked alongside the sidewalk. He stood up, retrieved the bags, and strode over to the SUV, quickly getting inside as it drove away. Upon entering the car, he noticed that Andrew, Tyler, and Gabriel were already wearing the body-armor suits they tested out.

"Hey, man," greeted Tyler, promptly handing him a large bag. "Here, the body-armor suit Andrew and Gabriel made for you. We have to change in the car to avoid any suspicion, so, now's a good time."

Ben nodded and unloaded the bag and unloaded it. First, he loaded his bulletproof vest (which had the word 'RAGE') with a metal trauma plate before strapping it on. Next, he outfitted himself with holsters and a load-bearing vest, the latter of which had body-armor pieces sewn onto it. Then, he wrapped bulletproof leggings around his legs, and homemade straps of body-armor around his arms. Next, he put on bullet-resistant throat and groin protectors, tactical gloves outfitted with homemade pieces of body-armor, and tactical boots. And finally, he put on a homemade bullet-resistant face-mask, a gas mask, bullet-resistant eye-wear, and a ballistic helmet.

Ben sighed nervously and then inspected himself in the rear-view mirror. He resembled a SWAT agent in that suit.

"You look good, man," Andrew said. "You look good. Now, let's get this shit done."

Ben nodded reluctantly.

* * *

_**July 15, 2016**_  
_**1 day before the anniversary**_

"What do you mean you're _me_?!" demanded Adyson as she stared down Adyson Prime. "What is going on here?! Why am I the only one who can see you? TELL ME!"

"Addie," Django said, "you're starting to freak me out-"

Adyson turned around and shouted, "WELL, YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE!"

"Adyson, yelling isn't gonna help," said Adyson Prime. "Please, I want you to calm down and focus on the main issue here."

"The main issue here is why I'm going CRAZY!" Adyson looked fanatical and on the verge of insanity; her eye was twitching, her hair had become wild, and her pupils were darting all over the corners of her eyes. "YOU GOTTA TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

"You want the truth?" Adyson Prime closed her eyes and sighed. "Truth is...I am you from an alternate present, where I, at your age, decided to do the simple thing of going back in time and preventing the festival massacre from ever happening. It was a successful plan.

"And yet, it had very terrible consequences. Nuclear war erupted, all because of this." She gestured to the entire room and the military-grade weapons and gear that it held. "This room belongs to a weapons-smuggling ring with ties to a terrorist cell located in the Quad-State Area. The cell, which had ties to a government with nuclear weapons, didn't take it kindly when one of their biggest and most profitable rings was exposed, so they attacked the Tri-State Area with their nuclear arsenal. The U.S. government retaliated, and as a result, the entire world was thrust into World War III.

"I made a very, _very_ grave mistake in trying to upset the natural order of things, just for something I selfishly wanted. I have realized that, sometimes, the most tragic of things happen for a good reason. So, as rectification, I went back in time again, to the time where my past self had prevented the massacre from happening. I gave her amnesia and sent her back to the appropriate time period. My past self then became you.

"Despite the fact that I changed the timeline, I didn't disappear. I was still able to operate in this continuum. After spending months of research on temporal guidelines and all of that complicated material, I realized this: by traveling back in time and affecting too much events, I have become affected by the paradox and therefore am the paradox itself, as did all of my alternate selves, past, present, and future. That includes you, Adyson.

"As a result of this paradox, we have shared minds, explaining the fact that only I could be seen by you and you only. I also experience alternating stages of rapid or slowing aging, I can send things that I can touch to other parts of time out of my will, I can teleport distances, and I can grant people amnesia of what they've done.

"But the timeline is fragile, Adyson. Like a person suffering an allergy, the timeline attacks itself whenever there are errors in the continuum. ...Errors like me. And as a result, the timeline will collapse on itself.

"Everyone and everything we know is in danger, Adyson. And it's all my fault."

"What?" asked Adyson in incredulous shock. All the information she had just heard would sound quite ridiculous and very implausible to anyone else, and yet...she was compelled to _believe_ her. "But-But how do we fix this?"

"Judging from my research in the temporal continuum," replied Adyson Prime, "if we duplicate the event I prevented, with key differences of course, then this error will correct itself, I will disappear-" She paused briefly, her skin becoming pale. "-and you can move on with life."

"Duplicate the event you prevented? Well, you prevented me from preventing a massacre." Her eyes widened in horror as the realization hit her. "Jamie and Albert are planning to attack the memorial held tomorrow."

Adyson Prime nodded in brisk agreement. "That's what I heard them saying; they plan on attacking the memorial with these very weapons. What their motivation for the attack is, I don't know. I am unable to stop them, Addie, but YOU can."

"Addie, what are you talking about?" Django asked cautiously. "Who are you talking to?"

"I'll explain later, Django." She looked at Adyson Prime. "Can you help us out of here?"

"Since we have shared minds," replied Adyson Prime, "that means we have the same powers. You can teleport yourself and Django out of here. Just close your eyes and concentrate on a location you wanna go to. ...Good luck."

Adyson nodded and quickly grabbed Django's hand.

"Addie, what in the world is-"

"HANG ON!" Adyson closed her eyes and concentrated on a single thought: home. Seconds later, she found herself in her bedroom; Django was still clutching her hand.

"What?" Django looked around, shocked and confused. "What in the world are we doing here?" He turned to Adyson. "Addie, what's going on? Why were you talking about time travel to yourself, and what's this about preventing Albert and this Jamie person from committing a massacre at the memorial tomorrow?"

"Django, it's REALLY complicated, and I honestly can't explain right now. Right now, we have to stop Jamie and Albert with whatever they've got planned. You just have to believe me, Django!" She placed her hands on his shoulders and looked into his blue eyes seriously. "...Can you?"

Django took a step backward, a bit fearful of Adyson after witnessing her apparent moment of insanity. He looked extremely unsure of what his decision could lead to. Adyson was actually fearful that he'd say no and that she was going crazy. Maybe she was...but she was _certain_ that she spoke of the truth.

To her relief, Django smiled, albeit reluctantly.

"Okay, Addie," he replied. "I believe you."

Laughing with relief, Adyson hugged Django and then kissed him hard on the lips. Shocked by what she just did a second later, she merely ran out of the room silently, nearly leaving behind a dazed and rather confused Django, who then recovered his senses and ran off after her.

* * *

"Glad you can help in finding Adyson and Django, Perry," Phineas said.

_"Anything for my owner,"_ replied Perry as the platypus escorted him down a hallway in the OWCA headquarters. _"So, if you wanna find Adyson and Django, then the go-to guy is none other than Doof. He's memorized the Evil Invention Database like the back of his hand; he should help you find the most effective invention that can find them."_

Perry led Phineas into a large chamber that was occupied by many strange-looking inventions and contraptions, which were all being inspected by OWCA scientists. As they continued to walk down the chamber, many of the scientists cast curious and even worried glances at Phineas, but Perry made a gesture to them that it was okay and that they should resume their work.

"Man, if only Joyce could see this," mused Phineas out loud. "She'd be excited to see upright-walking animals especially."

_"It'd be nice and dandy, but she doesn't know of the OWCA's existence, that's the problem,"_ Perry replied. _"You and your family may be allowed to know of my secret, but the OWCA's primary rule is still in effect, and rules are rules."  
_

"You didn't seem to think that when you exposed your secret identity to Ferb's cousins."

_"Well...to each his own. __And besides, I don't wanna deal with a six-year-old who's already done enough damage me by hugging me in a rather excessive way...__"_ The platypus shuddered briefly before spotting the person he was looking for._ "Ah, there he is. Doof!"_

The past year seemed to have given Doofenshmirtz a new edge. Wearing a new OWCA-owned lab-coat, the evil scientist looked extremely happy to be working for the OWCA again, and this time, he was taking the job seriously. This was evidenced by the fact that Phineas and Perry found him expertly supervising the other scientists and also helping them inspect inventions.

The former evil scientist turned around and smiled at the sight of his old arch-nemesis and the platypus's owner.

"Ah, Perry the Platypus!" exclaimed Doofenshmirtz in greeting. "It's great to see you, old enemy-turned-friend! And it's the spunky chatterbox! Oh, how're you doing, man? Is life cool for you at this time? If not, I have the Inator for you!"

Phineas couldn't help but suppress a giggle at Doofenshmirtz's recently-developed showmanship and flair. Being a good guy obviously reshaped his personality too.

"Hey, Dr. D," Phineas replied, becoming serious again.

Doofenshmirtz noticed the expression. "Something bad happen?" he asked.

"Two of my friends have gone missing, Dr. D. I need an invention that can find them quickly. I fear that they're in grave danger..."

"What's happening here?" a new voice asked. Everyone turned around to see Carl approaching them, Major Monogram following behind him, holding a clipboard. Carl was wearing an army-green suit and dark sunglasses, while Monogram was wearing a dark-gray suit. Just a couple of weeks ago, after Commander Collins decided to retire from the OWCA, the organization officials randomly picked none other than Carl to fill his position, now branding him 'Commander Carl'. Ironically, Monogram, who was Collins's intern, now had to work for Carl.

"Commander Carl, the kid needs our help right now," explained Doofenshmirtz. "Two of his friends have gone missing, and he fears for their safety."

"Really, huh?" Carl's sunglasses lowered to reveal his eyes. Like Doofenshmirtz, his new job had reshaped his personality; now, the meek and obedient yet clumsy and humorous intern was a serious and collected superior. He gazed at Phineas. "Okay, Phineas, we'll give you all the help we've got, since we know you. Doof, what kind of invention do we have to solve this situation?"

"Yes, yes we do." Doofenshmirtz escorted Phineas, Perry, Carl, and Monogram further down the chamber. He then gestured to a large computer-like device with a long robotic arm ending in a dome-shaped structure big enough to fit one's forehead.

"What is that?" Phineas asked.

"Bloodpudding's Find-Something-Lost-Icator. Just get your head under that dome thing, and it'll mentally transport you to the current location your friends are. All you have to do is think about them, and you'll see them from where they currently are."

"Is that it?" asked Carl.

"Hey, don't blame me! This is the only thing I've got so far! Unless you want me to build an Inator of my own, I'll be happy to oblige-"

"No, no, no, DON'T!" Monogram exclaimed, dropping his clipboard and waving his hands in warning at the scientist. "That'll be fine, thank you very much!"

"It'll have to do," Phineas said. "I can't just sit here and wait for something better to be built. I'm gonna have to go in. Strap me up, Doc."

Doofenshmirtz nodded obediently and pointed at a strange-looking, transparent pad. "Okay, step right there."

Phineas nodded back and stepped onto the pad. The moment he stepped on it, his feet instantly sunk into the substance; it felt like a liquid, but it didn't seem to soak through his shoes, and it had more of a gel-like feel to it. The teenager felt the need to get out immediately.

"Wh-What _is_ this?"

"Huh?" Doofenshmirtz inspected the substance closely. "I have no idea. I wasn't the one who checked through these records. But, from what I know from my years as an evil scientist, it seems to be some form of neuro-gardenia gel."

"Neuro-gardenia gel?"

"Yeah. It's a substance created by mixing gardenia petals with Very Bad Gas and hair-gel, discovered by Dr. Grelime Evill a century ago. I think it was supposed to help people look into the minds of those who died, but as far as I know, it has been successful only as a mental-transport system. But enough of this chitchat, we gotta get this thing underway quickly!" Doofenshmirtz pressed a red button, powering up the machine. He then strapped the dome-shaped structure around Phineas's forehead, albeit with some difficulty. "Jeez, how come you have such a strangely-shaped head? Ah, there we go!"

Phineas blinked; the feeling of the structure around his head was rather weird. Something seemed to be pricking in the back of his head. However, he dismissed it and looked at Doofenshmirtz, nodding at him as a signal to proceed.

The scientist nodded back. "Remember, think about your friends!"

Phineas closed his eyes and began thinking about Adyson, Django, and all of the fond memories he experienced with them. As he did, he thought he heard something echo from somewhere, sounding like a badly-tuned radio.

**_Phineas Flynn..._**

Phineas opened his eyes and looked at Perry, Doofenshmirtz, Carl, and Monogram.

"Wait!" he exclaimed. "Did any of you hear someone talking?"

_"We didn't hear anyone speak, Phineas,"_ Perry replied, _"unless you wanna include Doof's excessive mumbling to himself."_

"Oh, very funny, Perry the Platypus," Doofenshmirtz snapped back. "Kid, close your eyes again, otherwise things might get wacky for you. I'm gonna send your mind to your friends' current location. You will be there for about a minute, and I'm gonna bring you back. Sending you in about three seconds...two..._ONE_!"

Phineas quickly closed his eyes and thought about Adyson and Django. He heard a zapping noise, and then, he heard police sirens and people talking.

Fearing the worst, Phineas opened his eyes...

And found himself standing in the Sweetwater house. He saw Adyson hugging Joyce, Randy, and Kathy, while officers and Django watched. The inventor let out a sigh of relief, knowing that his friends were safe and sound.

**_...She'll be gone soon._**

"Huh?" Phineas asked, looking around for the source of the voice. However, no one appeared to be noticing him; he was obviously a hologram.

_**The natural order is a painful way...**_

"Hello?" called Phineas. "Who's talking? Where ARE you?!"_  
_

_**...But that's the way it must be...**_

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!"

_**...Since it's the only way to fix things.**_

Phineas then watched in horror as a brick was thrown through the window of the house. Attached to it was a device that was blinking a red light.

"BOMB!" an officer shouted as he thrust himself onto the bomb while everyone else fled.

A second later, everything exploded.

* * *

Elsewhere, Adyson Prime let out a scream of pain as she felt something unknown assault her. Falling to the ground and clutching her stomach, she began to notice her legs were _disappearing_...

* * *

Phineas screamed as he watched Adyson's body take the full blast of the explosion.

* * *

**A/N:** ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER! DUN DUN DUN!

No comment on what's gonna happen next...but it WILL be the final chapter in the next one before the epilogue...

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (can't answer reviews, sorry):

**AuthorD**

**MonkeyLover422**

**random guy (guest reviewer)**

**thedoraemons7**

**WinnieCocoaFlip**

**humanusscriptor**

**woodland5 (guest reviewer)**

**shadowayn**

**Yarthayaj'knaushtavdhladleklwa**

**Waddles Pines**

**mystery girl234**

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	51. Temporal Anomaly, Part 1

**A/N:** Okay, everyone, before we begin, I have to admit something.

I lied. This will NOT be the penultimate chapter of the story. Because of the length this final battle will require, and the fact that I honestly don't wanna tackle another chapter that's over 10,000 words, like the ones in "Evil Phineas", I will divide this into two, maybe three parts if we're unlucky. I swear, though, we're at the end. It is just this final battle and then the epilogue. And then we're done with this nightmarish story! :D

Enough ranting. ENJOY!

* * *

**_July 16, 2015  
The day of the massacre_**

"It's...It's okay...Ferb... ...I...I know you..._lied_. But it's...okay. I d-deserved...this... Thank you... Now..._run_..."

Ferb's face was the last thing Benjamin Sweetwater saw before his world faded into a realm of pitch-black darkness. All pain had subsided from his body in a matter of split-seconds, but Ben made a shocking realization: he was still _alive_. He could feel his own body, and he could feel himself standing on something. But...he didn't know where he was. Everywhere he looked, there was black. Darkness seemed to overtake everything.

"Hello?" he called.

_Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello?... Hello?... ...Hello?... ...Hello?... ... ... ..._

Ben let out a sharp, pained sigh as he collapsed onto the surface he was standing on; it was surprisingly smooth and flat. He knew in an instant that he was _dead_.

_"I guess this is what happens when you die,"_ Ben thought. _"Just..._nothing_... Either that, or this is what _Hell _is supposed to be like..."_

The teenager began to weep, feeling all fear take control of his emotions. He knew he had screwed up big-time. He had murdered dozens of innocent people who did absolutely NOTHING to deserve it, in cold blood. He had allowed his anger to take control of him, and people who weren't involved with what happened to him, in any way, were all dead because of his inability to control himself, and his selfishness in desiring the love of someone who would never, EVER return his feelings. And now, he was doomed to pay the price by living in this empty landscape, with no one to accompany him, or no objects to distract his mind. It was just him and the darkness.

After a few minutes, Ben suddenly stopped crying. He stood up, putting a courageous look on his face.

_"It's okay,"_ he thought. _"I deserve this. I let my family, my friends...and _Addie _down. They all counted on me to be a good person, and I let them all down. This is punishment given for me, and I will accept it with no complications." _He sighed, biting his lip as he struggled to stave off his fear. _"...Bring it on."_

Ben then walked forward, knowing that he had no intended destination. He couldn't see where he was going. But if this was how he was gonna spend the afterlife, he might as well go for it. The teenager smiled, knowing that he still had the memories of his life to keep him from crossing the line that bordered sanity and madness.

_**Benjamin Sweetwater.**_

Ben stopped in his tracks. A voice echoed from the depths of darkness, beseeching him.

_**Follow the light...**_

At the corner of his eye, Ben spotted a white speck appear in the black. He turned and walked towards it without any instinct guiding him. The speck of white, growing larger and larger, seemed to have a sort of magnetic force slowly pulling his body towards its mass.

Finally, the white engulfed his sights. Though it was bright, his eyes didn't react to it at all. Ben felt himself reel with slight nausea in the first few seconds; looking into a vast sea of white that was everywhere was a bit confusing and disorienting. He decided to look down...and saw that he was wearing an ivory-white robe.

_**Benjamin Sweetwater, you have tarnished the meaning of your life.**_

"I know, I know," Ben replied, not caring over whom he was talking to. "But you have NO idea how stupid and depressing my life was! My parents died because I took a wrong turn, everyone around me was always happy and easygoing, and most of all, there is NO chance I would ever get the girl I LOVE! I deserved to die. I was the wrong variable in the equation, the one that should've been taken out immediately. Good riddance for me."

_**No, no good riddance for you. But do you have any idea of the lives you destroyed, the ones you left behind?**_

"Like I care. No one loves me. No one EVER loved me."

_**You're wrong, Benjamin Sweetwater. People loved you. Your family, your REAL friends. And now they're all shattered by what you did.**_

The white that was directly in front of Ben parted like a mist, revealing images of stricken and heartbroken people. Ben instantly identified them as his Uncle Randy and Aunt Kathy, Joyce, Phineas, Ferb, Baljeet, Buford, the Fireside Girls (sans Isabella, for some reason), Django, Irving, and, most of all, _Adyson_. He forced himself to look away from the painful images; he couldn't bear to witness this much grief.

_**And you've died all for nothing, Benjamin Sweetwater.**_

"What makes you think so?" asked Ben sadly.

_**The people you shot? None of them died.**_

Ben's skin paled. "What?" he asked stupidly.

_**You never killed anyone at the festival, Benjamin Sweetwater. You died a victim, not a killer.**_

Ben's lower jaw slowly slid open. He couldn't believe what he was hearing from this otherworldly voice. He never killed ANYONE? It was impossible! He swore he was able to land several head-shots on people. The many times he had shot some of his victims. The faces he had to look into before he pulled the trigger. The pale skin, the empty eyes, the lifeless bodies... It was just _impossible_!

"DON'T PLAY AROUND WITH ME!" Ben shouted to nothing in particular. "I **KNOW** I KILLED A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE, I KNOW I DID!"

_**Then why am I sending you to Heaven?  
**_

"H-_Heaven_?"

Ben watched as a golden gate appeared in front of him, emerging from the sea of white. Its doors opened, unleashing a brilliant warmth onto him. He could feel a cool, slight breeze against his skin, and he could hear the contented chirping of birds.

_**It's too late for you to go back, Benjamin Sweetwater. There's no other way.**_

Ben felt tears prickle at the back of his eyes. This was it, he knew. He was definitely crossing into the afterlife. And he did it all for _nothing_. He had let down his family, his friends..._Adyson_, all for nothing. And he paid the terrible price of death as punishment. It didn't take long for him to realize that he had started crying.

"I-I-I _can't_ die..." he said. "I just CAN'T!"

_**I am truly sorry, Benjamin Sweetwater. But you chose your path. There's no turning back. You must take it.**_

Ben gritted his teeth, knowing that there was no use in arguing with the voice. Reluctantly, he stepped through the gate, and into Heaven...

"I'm sorry, Adyson..." he said.

_**Do not worry, Benjamin Sweetwater. You will see her again...**_

"What?"

The gate closed.

* * *

**_July 16, 2016  
_****_The first anniversary_**

The morning sun rose over the mountainside, bathing Danville and signaling the start of yet another day. However, this peaceful exterior was a fallacious shell, for to Phineas, he knew that the nightmare had yet to be over. In fact, he had a feeling it just began.

He raced inside the Tri-State General Hospital as fast as he could, feeling all sense of attachment to the physical world leave his body, distorting reality into a realm of surrealism. It was not happening, he kept thinking to himself. He had promised Joyce that he would bring Adyson back safe and sound. But he failed. And now, Adyson was in a hospital, struggling for her life. He had _failed_ Joyce, the little, innocent girl who always looked up to him...

The inventor reached the room where he was told to go by the hospital clerk.

"PHINEAS!" The next thing he knew, a mass had wrapped itself around his leg. It was Joyce.

"Joyce..." Phineas said, "I'm...I'm sorry...I-I _heard_..." He itched his ear, but Joyce didn't notice.

"Will Addie be okay?" she asked, looking up at him with shimmering eyes.

Phineas bent down and hugged Joyce tightly. "She'll be okay, Joyce. Don't think otherwise, okay?" However, the inventor knew that it was just a statement of comfort, and, until he learned more of Adyson's current status, nothing more.

"Okay," Joyce replied, sniffling. Just then, she burst into tears and tightened her grip around Phineas. "Phineas, I'm scared! There are so many bad guys everywhere!"

Phineas broke the hug and looked into Joyce's eyes seriously.

"Joyce, there's no reason to be scared. If you're scared, then that means you're letting the bad guys win. NEVER be scared. ...Adyson wouldn't want you to be scared, wouldn't she?" When Joyce shook her head, he continued. "That's right, Joyce. Now, Addie needs you to be brave for her, alright? The bad guys are still out there, but they'll never touch you if you continue to be brave. Do you understand, Joyce?"

Joyce nodded silently. Phineas smiled, hugged her again, and stood up, just as Django entered the scene, looking rather haggard.

"Phineas, you're here!" he exclaimed, hugging the inventor instinctively.

"Of course," replied Phineas. He looked at Django seriously. "Who did this to you and Addie? Who kidnapped you?"

"It was Albert, Phineas." Django's skin grew paler upon mentioning the name. "Him and some guy named Jamie, whom Adyson knows for some reason."

"_Albert_?" repeated Phineas in incredulous shock. First Ben, then Milly, and now Albert? "But-But _why_?"

"I don't know. But Addie said to me that they were planning to attack the memorial today."

"WHAT?!" screamed Phineas, catching the attention of the other visitors present in the room. "WHY?!"

"I don't know, Phineas! Addie was dead serious in her assumption. And..." He hesitated for a moment, and then, he ushered Joyce away from the scene. "...to tell you the truth, Addie didn't seem..._herself_ when we got back. She was talking to herself, and she had this strange ability to teleport. She kept talking about time-travel and alternate realities and stuff. And...it sounded like she thought she was TWO people..."

"So, you doubt what she said?"

"She was really serious about it, but...yeah, I _do_ doubt it. The past events have been so hard on her, I wouldn't be surprised if her mind caved in to the pressure-"

"But how does that explain the teleporting thing you mentioned?"

Django shrugged. "I'm not sure, man! But we cannot be focused on this. We have to be there for Addie! She needs us now."

"Phineas, Django!" a voice called. Phineas turned around and saw the rest of the gang heading towards them.

"Is it true?" Katie asked. "Adyson was injured in a bombing?"

"Yes," Django replied solemnly.

"My _God_..." moaned Gretchen. "Is the Tri-State Area jinxed or WHAT?!"

Meanwhile, Phineas was inspecting the group that arrived. As usual, he didn't see Irving anywhere.

"Hey, has anyone seen Irving lately?" he asked. "He's not here. Again."

"No," replied Baljeet. "It's really strange. He's been missing for weeks now. Albert says he's gone to psychiatric counseling out of the city, but-"

"Wait, _Albert_ told you that?"_  
_

"Yeah. I tried calling Irving yesterday, and Albert answered. He told me that Irving was gonna be back in a couple of days, but honestly, there was something about it that didn't seem right. One thing, Albert's tone was extremely strange, like he sounded _strained _or something-" Baljeet broke off abruptly and looked at Phineas. "Wait, why, Phineas? Did Albert tell you otherwise?"

Phineas sighed and replied, "Before Adyson was..._injured_...she and Django were kidnapped yesterday. ...By Albert and someone else."

Everyone else gasped, while Buford exclaimed, "NO WAY!"

"Why would Albert wanna do that to you?" Katie demanded, looking at Django.

"I'm not sure!" the artist replied. "But one thing's for sure; he, or his accomplice has an arsenal of weapons at their disposal. And Addie says they're planning to attack the Mid-Summer's Festival memorial that's gonna happen today!"

"We should tell the police!" Baljeet cried, taking out his cell phone. Before he could dial 911, however, it began vibrating. "What the? Someone's calling me."

"D'you know who it is?" asked Phineas, a feeling of apprehension rising up in his gut.

"No. ...It's a number I don't recognize." Unsure of what to do, Baljeet decided to answer the phone. "Hello? Who's this?"

It was briefly silent. Then...

"Get out of there. **NOW**."

The line then went dead. Baljeet's eyes widened in shock.

"That...That was _Irving_..." he said.

"What?" asked Ginger. "Irving?"

"Yeah, that was definitely him. He...He wants us to get outta here."

"Why?" Phineas then looked around. "Are...Are Albert and the other guy here?"

"I don't know!" Gretchen exclaimed. "I didn't see Albert when we came in here."

"Well, we gotta get outta here," Django said. "Irving wants us to leave. If so, then something's not right here-"

"But we can't leave Addie!" Everyone looked down and saw that Joyce had been listening in on their conversation the entire time. "We can't just leave her here! And my parents are in her room; we can't leave 'em too! And what about all these other people? We can't just leave 'em too."

"Joyce, it's too dangerous-" Phineas began.

"Phineas, didn't you tell me to be brave against the bad guys?" interrupted Joyce determinedly. "Is that right?"

The inventor looked into Joyce's pleading eyes as they looked back at him. Knowing that she was right, Phineas let out a sigh and nodded in agreement.

"You're right, Joyce. We have to brave." He turned to the rest of the group. "We have to get everyone out of here. It's obvious something's gonna go down here. Joyce and I will go to Adyson's room and try to find a way to get here outta here."

"I'm coming with you," Django piped. "I can't leave her side now!"

"Me too!" exclaimed Katie. "She's my friend; no way I'm gonna just ditch her like that!"

"So, it's agreed. Katie, Django, Joyce, and I will get to Adyson. The rest of you, find a way to alert everyone else at the hospital."

"Gotcha!" everyone else chorused.

* * *

Outside the Tri-State General Hospital, Albert apprehensively inspected the main entrance from the safety of Jamie's van as citizens went into and out of the building. He then cast a glance at the man he had called his companion for the past several months, who had convinced him to join him in his scheme in the first place; currently, Jamie was also examining the hospital, with more devotion; a gleam of malice was in his eye.

"You think this is a good idea?" he asked. "I mean...attacking a hospital won't really do _much_ to hide that stash of illegal weapons-"

"Just go with the flow, man," interrupted Jamie impatiently, not looking at Albert. "You want to become more popular than your damn little brother, don't you?"

"Well..._yeah_...but not this way-"

Jamie finally looked at Albert. "Well, if you wanna get what you desire, Albert, then you have to eliminate all the loose ends! Your brother's friends are inching closer to the truth as we speak, and if we are to-" He cleared his throat sharply for a moment. "-_fake_ an attack on the memorial, then we can't have any obstructions, do we?" When Albert nodded silently, Jamie smiled. "_That's_ more like it. Now, where were we? Oh, yeah!"

He raised a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and aimed it out of the passenger window, towards the hospital.

"Sayonara, suckers..." Jamie whispered to himself. "This is for my great-uncle..."

* * *

Nearby the van, Irving was hiding in a clump of bushes, spying on Albert and Jamie with his handy camera. He had always known his stalker-like tendencies will come in handy one day. And now, it was those instincts that led him to stumble upon something quite suspicious several months ago: his brother had been calling someone frequently and mentioning something about illegal weapons and explosives.

Since those strange calls, Irving had been spending his spare time spying on his brother, eventually leading to a peculiar incident in which he followed Albert out of his apartment one day. He followed him to Milly's house, much to his surprise. There, he caught Albert and another man, later identified as Jamie, injecting something into Milly with a syringe, causing her to go crazy. Afterwards, Irving was caught by them and beset upon by a crazed Milly, who savagely attacked him and knocked him out.

When he woke up, he found himself in the middle of a forest, which took him days to get out. It was then that he realized he had been stuck in Danville Park.

Upon returning home, Irving found that his parents had strangely forgotten about him, and suspected that Albert had wiped their memories of knowledge concerning their younger son. The same went for police officials, which he confirmed after trying to alert them of the recent events. Since then, he resumed spying on his brother and his strange new companion, not bothering to show his face in their presence again.

"I've got you now, bro," Irving said to himself as he adjusted the lens of his camera.

He then gasped upon seeing Jamie aim a rocket-propelled grenade launcher out of the passenger window of his and Albert's van.

"Oh no..."

Irving strapped his camera to his chest and then took out a cell phone he had to steal from Danville Park's parking lot. He dialed the first number the came to his mind: Baljeet's; he had seen the nerd enter the hospital minutes earlier along with the rest of the gang.

To his relief, Baljeet answered, "Hello? Who's this?"

"Get out of there," Irving replied. "**NOW**."

He then hung up, stood up, and ran towards the van.

_"I need to give them time..."_ Irving thought.

Out of instinct, he threw the cell phone at the van. It hit the windshield, shattering into pieces but succeeding in catching Albert and Jamie's attentions.

"What the?" cried Jamie. He then spotted Irving and gasped. "IRVING!"

"Irving?!" Albert exclaimed, half-relieved.

"GODDAMN IT!" Jamie procured a silenced machine pistol and aimed it towards the windshield, directly at Irving. "YOU WILL NOT INTERFERE! **DIE**!"

The wisps that were the silenced automatic gunfire entered the air; the van windshield cracked and imploded as it was shattered by the unrelenting barrage of bullets. Irving gasped, but remained rooted in his position, paralyzed in fear. He suddenly felt an unknown force push against his chest with extreme power, but no pain, quite strangely; nevertheless, he collapsed to the ground. Irving could only watch in a stupor as Jamie got out of the van, still holding his firearm.

"This time..." he snarled, "no _screw-ups_-"

"NO!"

Jamie turned around towards Albert, who had also gotten out of the van.

"No, don't hurt my brother!" he cried.

"Says who?" Jamie replied jeeringly. "I thought it was your goal to outdo your famous brother?"

"It was, but in no way did our deal involve _killing_ him! Please, Jamie, stop it..."

Jamie tilted his head like a curious puppy as he smirked. "You know, Du Bois, the truth is...I was planning on killing you during the memorial attack before you could go and play hero. But since you're becoming ambivalent to my scheme before it could even go into motion, I might as well just kill you now, just for gun. Oh, and...I never planned on faking said attack. So yeah, you screwed yourself over big-time."

He promptly fired upon Albert; Irving silently watched in horror as his brother fell to the ground, blood oozing from his torso.

Jamie chuckled sadistically, then turned around and shot Irving thrice in the stomach. He then examined the pedestrians at the hospital; no one had heard the silenced gunfire. He promptly walked over to the van, retrieved his rocket-propelled grenade, and fired a single rocket at the hospital. Relishing briefly in the explosion, the man then hopped into the van and quickly drove away.

Amid the chaos that ensued, Irving crawled over to his fallen brother, clutching his severely-wounded abdomen, and saw that Albert was still alive.

"Albert?" he asked. "_Albert_?"

"S-Sorry, bro..." replied Albert, coughing and spitting out wads of blood that was so red that it might as well be a sickening black. "I-I was j-_jealous_ of the m-me-media at-attention... I-I did-didn't think i-it'd lead to t-t-this... I'm s-so-so so-sorry..."

"It's okay, Albert." Irving coughed; a wad of blood splattered graphically onto the concrete as well. "I-I'll get you help, don't you worry..." He looked up and saw three pedestrians, including a nurse, heading towards them.

"Oh my God!" the nurse screamed. "Are you two okay?!"

"My brother needs help!" Irving shouted. "Quick, help him!"

"You!" The nurse looked at one of her companions. "Go get help! We'll attend to those two!" She and the other pedestrian knelt beside Irving and Albert and attended to their gunshot wounds, while the first pedestrian ran off towards a group of nurses and visitors who were clambering away from the destruction.

It was at that point that Irving noticed something: a bullet had hit his camera and was inches away from penetrating through it and hitting his heart.

* * *

Phineas looked around, examining his surroundings curiously. He, Joyce, Django, and Katie had just entered Adyson's room when they, Adyson's parents, and Adyson herself suddenly ended up standing in a field of evergreen shrubs holding gardenia flowers.

"What?" Katie asked in the first few seconds the group appeared in the field. "Wh-Where _are_ we?"

Before anyone could respond, everyone heard a moan issue into the air; they all turned to see Adyson sitting up on the ground. Strangely, there was no bed for her to lie on, and even more shocking, she appeared _unscathed_. It was as if she had never been severely wounded by the bomb. And if that wasn't enough...her clothes had been replaced with a strange bright-white robe...

"What?" Adyson asked, looking down at herself. "What happened?"

"You tell us!" Django replied. "We were gonna try and get you out of the hospital when we wound up here!"

"Adyson?" Randy asked. "What's going on here? Before we came..._here_...you were convulsing, and the monitoring devices seemed to be malfunctioning... In fact, they were all malfunctioning long before this happened! They seemed to register you as _dead_..."

"What?!" exclaimed Adyson, Phineas, Joyce, Katie, and Django simultaneously.

"Me, _dead_?" Adyson asked.

"That's what the devices seemed to say," replied Kathy. "The doctors had to change the devices twice before switching to an old-fashioned one that held up well."

"How could that be possible?"

"It's simple," a new, familiar voice said.

Everyone turned around and gasped. Approaching them, wearing white robes identical to that of Adyson's, were the last people they'd expect to see.

It was all 37 victims of the Mid-Summer's Festival shooting.

"Mom? Isabella?" Phineas asked.

"Wendy?" Adyson asked.

Linda, Isabella, and Wendy nodded at them, all smiling.

"What?!" Django exclaimed. "How are you _here_?" He then gasped as he and the others came to the same conclusion. "Are...Are we-"

"No, you're not dead," a man interrupted, shaking his head. "Well, not _technically_."

"You're in a section that Heaven offers," continued a woman. "It's a place where Heaven's residents link with the minds of their loved ones, to see how they're doing."

"You're only here because Adyson teleported you here as part of an involuntary self-defense mechanism," Isabella explained.

"Wait, if we're not dead, and we're..._here_," replied Phineas, confused, "then...how come we're here in the first place, then?"

"I said you're not _technically_ dead," the same man said. "Draw off on that statement."

Adyson was the only one who guessed. "Are...Are you saying we're..._half-dead_?"

"You can say it in that sense," Linda replied. "Now, you must be wondering how you were all able to get here in the first place. Now, only Adyson knows this. See, she, Phineas, Katie, Django, and a friend named Eliza went back in time to prevent the Mid-Summer's Festival massacre from happening. But Adyson experienced the tragic repercussions brought from messing with the timeline: in the place of a terrible tragedy, a more severe one took place. So, she prevented herself from preventing the massacre and setting things back into their original position.

"Or...that's what _you_ thought happened." Linda was looking at Adyson now. "The truth is, whenever you change the timeline, you just create a new reality, where the changes you made apply. You're all living in one of many realities, all created by time-travelers, all loosely connected through items that are classified as 'leftovers' from the original reality from which the current one grew from."

"Since the current reality you live in was one created by _her_," continued Wendy, "she has the ability to manipulate everything conceivable. She can be considered this reality's God, generally speaking. That is why you're here. She was able to defy the rules and took you all to the safest place possible: here."

"But the timeline cannot be put into the hands of a mere teenage girl," a woman explained. "Your reality is collapsing on itself, scheduled to implode. It is the fate that awaits all realities created by time-travelers. The only way to prevent that from happening is to destroy the object that connects your reality to others. It will separate itself from the other realities and reset all temporal anomalies."

"Why are you telling us this?" asked Phineas.

"Because by destroying this connection," Isabella replied, "everything involved in the time-changing process will cease to exist. Including the massacre.

"Everything will be reset, and all of the nightmares will have never happened. Everything will be _normal_."

* * *

**A/N:** So technically, if they destroy the connection, then the events of this story will have transpired. That's what they mean. And before you point out loopholes such as nuclear war happening if the massacre is prevented, it will be something I will address.

So, it looks like we might be in for some more brain-frying.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (cannot answer reviews now, sorry):

**Galaxina-the-Seedrian**

**thedoraemons7**

**WinnieCocoaFlip**

**woodland5 (guest reviewer)**

**Rika Hanyuu Furude**

**MonkeyLover422**

**random guy (guest reviewer)**

**sonicboy678**

**Guest reviewer**

**humanusscriptor**

**Proxus**

**shadowayn**

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**tigerevans**

**Yarthayaj'knaushtavdhladleklwa**

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	52. A Sudden Change, Part 2

**A/N:** Here we are, everyone, the conclusion of the final battle! And accompanying it will be a little twist, something you really didn't see coming, and might not like...

* * *

_****__Unknown date_**_  
_**

_"You can say it in that sense. Now, you must be wondering how you were all able to get here in the first place. Now, only Adyson knows this. See, she, Phineas, Katie, Django, and a friend named Eliza went back in time to prevent the Mid-Summer's Festival massacre from happening. But Adyson experienced the tragic repercussions brought from messing with the timeline: in the place of a terrible tragedy, a more severe one took place. So, she prevented herself from preventing the massacre and setting things back into their original position. Or...that's what _you_ thought happened. The truth is, whenever you change the timeline, you just create a new reality, where the changes you made apply. You're all living in one of many realities, all created by time-travelers, all loosely connected through items that are classified as 'leftovers' from the original reality from which the current one grew from."_

_"Since the current reality you live in was one created by __her_, she has the ability to manipulate everything conceivable. She can be considered this reality's God, generally speaking. That is why you're here. She was able to defy the rules and took you all to the safest place possible: here."

_"But the timeline cannot be put into the hands of a mere teenage girl. Your reality is collapsing on itself, scheduled to implode. It is the fate that awaits all realities created by time-travelers. The only way to prevent that from happening is to destroy the object that connects your reality to others. It will separate itself from the other realities and reset all temporal anomalies."_

_"Because by destroying this connection, everything involved in the time-changing process will cease to exist. Including the massacre. __Everything will be reset, and all of the nightmares will have never happened. Everything will be _normal_."_

Adyson forced her eyes open and found herself lying on a hospital bed. But...something was _wrong_ with her current environment. Her wrists and legs were being held down to the bed by bonds, the only other thing in the room was a desk with a lamp on it, and there was a complete absence of her family, Phineas, and Django. She looked around frantically, seeing only two doors; one obviously the only exit, the other likely an entrance into the bathroom.

"What the?" she asked. "What's happening, what the hell is going on here?!" She then began struggling against her bonds with all of the strength she could muster, yelling out savagely all the while. "WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?! SOMEONE GET ME OUTTA HERE! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND; THE TIMELINE IS GONNA COLLAPSE ON ITSELF IF I DO NOT DESTROY THE CONNECTION, I SWEAR TO GOD! GET ME OUTTA HERE, PLEASE!"

"Don't waste your breath, Addie," a voice suddenly replied.

Adyson's eyes widened, as she recognized the voice. "B-_Ben_?"

Benjamin Sweetwater materialized in the middle of the room. He was wearing the same clothes he wore the last time she saw him; a red T-shirt, tan cargo shorts, and (she remembered joking with him about it) a headband with flower patterns. Adyson blinked in confusion.

"Ben?" she asked. "How...How are you alive?" The teenage girl then frowned and continued to struggle. "Where am I, Ben? Let me go! I have destroy the connection so then the timeline won't collapse on itself, I have to, I have to, otherwise-"

"You know there's no connection."

Adyson stopped. "What?"

"You _know_ there's no connection, Addie. You know all of this has been a lie you fabricated for yourself." Ben was now at Adyson's side. "It's quite natural, Addie. It is a little something that the mind does to you in order to defend yourself from the external factors that have tormented you so."

"What? No! No, no, NO! ALL OF THIS HASN'T BEEN A LIE, I SAW IT FOR MYSELF-"

"That's right, you _did_ see it," Ben interrupted. "It's called a hallucination."

"I'M NOT HALLUCINATING, I'M NOT-"

"Crazy? ...Where do you think you are, Addie?"

"I'M NOT CRAZY, BEN, I'M NOT CRAZY! I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M **NOT**!"

"June 29, 2016. What happened at that day?" asked Ben.

"F-Ferb told us his s-side of the s-story of the m-m-massacre..." Adyson stuttered in response. "He-He told u-us h-how you d-d-_died_..."

"What'd you do afterwards?"

"I...I went home, shocked. ...And very sad. Very heartbroken. You died a good person, Ben, you died never killing anyone, yet you still paid the price for participating in such a horrible thing. I-I was blaming myself for everything that had happened. If I had realized you were still full of hate, 37 people wouldn't be dead... But I _didn't_, oh God, I DIDN'T! And...And...so many bad things were still happening... It's as if I catalyzed all of this..."

"And your mind couldn't take it anymore," Ben said. "The day after Ferb was arrested, your mind began to slowly devolve. The first signs of actual insanity displayed by you was your so-called dream, with the field of gardenias and the person at the top of the mountain. Only, it was just a slight hallucination. You might just call it a little instance of daydreaming. But nevertheless, it was a hallucination.

"Then, your mind started developing a defense plan, in which you imagined yourself preventing the massacre by traveling back in time. You created scenarios for all of your friends and family, and your mind made this delusion a complex event of its own. You made Phineas the hero because he could do anything. You gave yourself a set of so-called superpowers just to boost your confidence. You made Albert and Jamie the villains because you loathed Jamie and Irving. Irving gained himself a lot of fame and praise that you desired, but he was your friend, so you chose Albert because of his familial connection. And of course, Jamie introduced me to all the military-grade weapons that made the massacre possible.

"Everything that you thought happened after July 2, 2016, when you visited Ferb in prison; it had all been a hallucination. A story written by YOU."

"No," moaned Adyson. "No, no, no, no, no... That can't be... I'm NOT crazy!"

"But you are, Addie. Your parents noticed your destabilizing behavior after a couple of days, and they sent you here. That's why your hallucination was cut off. You've experienced a brief moment of clarity when your parents abandoned you here. Plus, your delusion was becoming too implausible for your mind to continue. You knew, all along, that the massacre happened for a reason. You try to change it, it might lead to something worse..."

"My parents sent me here?" Adyson asked, her eyes wide.

"Yes."

"What-What day is it?"

"July 5, 2016. You just came here last night."

Adyson's jaw dropped open. "But...But...It all seemed so REAL..."

"That's because you made it real, Addie," replied Ben. "Just like how you made _me_ real."

He kissed her straight on the lips, and she instinctively kissed back. When she opened her eyes...he wasn't there. Adyson's head fell back onto the bed as she took in everything that the hallucination of Ben had just told her...

The door swung open, and Adyson watched as a woman wearing a brown suit walked into the room.

"Adyson Sweetwater?" she asked.

Adyson silently nodded.

"How're you feeling right now?"

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, that's right, the second half of Part III had been a hallucination. Boy, what a twist, eh? ...Probably not.

Before you start to complain about this sudden change, I must tell you, this whole thing had been planned out from day one. There is a reason a genre of the story is 'Tragedy'. Not only does 'Tragedy' mean a tragedy, but it also refers to a story where something bad happens to the character or characters at the end. You probably already know of this after reading some of Shakespeare's stories, like 'MacBeth' or 'Julius Caesar'. That had been my intention all along: to bring Adyson, probably the central character other than Phineas, down into a rather terrible state. The hallucination was probably a poor way to execute it, but I'm proud of what transpired. So, you can complain, but just know that this was planned out from the early stages.

Don't worry, though, the events the hallucination explained will still be brought up, and I will offer satisfactory conclusions for them.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (cannot answer reviews right now):

**MonkeyLover422**

**thedoraemons7**

**sonicboy678**

**Galaxina-the-Seedrian**

**woodland5 (guest reviewer)**

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**AuthorD**

**Guest reviewer**

**Waddles Pines**

**random guy (guest reviewer)**

**Fanatic97**

**shadowayn**

**AlphaBetaSoup**

**PurpleStar2424**

Before I leave, I just want everyone to pray for the victims of the Santa Monica shooting that happened last week. And to think, I thought California gun laws would've prevented something like that. Anyway, pray, everyone, pray.

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


	53. AUTHOR'S NOTE, ANNOUNCEMENT

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Alright, everyone, quick announcement!

If you have all read the new chapter of my Marie-and-Thomas-centric story, then you probably know that I am gonna be going on a road trip with my family to Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. I'm gonna be gone for a week, which means no updates for me at that period of time.

Before I go on my travels, I wanted to tell you all that I have posted on my profile a poll regarding something that has been nagging me for the past couple of days. I was wondering over whether I should change the rating of this story from T to M or not. Considering the fact that I have featured in the story detailed descriptions of massacres, murders, suicide attempts, etc., etc., I've been leaning on 'Yes'. But I thought I'd leave it up to the readers, so I posted the poll. So, just check it out, and if you have an answer for me, then don't be afraid to vote. Your vote counts!

I just also wanted to say that even if you vote 'No', I might still change the rating, for I have big plans to overstep my boundaries and do some experimentation in this story. Mainly a little lemon scene. It's a little necessary for the plot, but I'll just make it into a sweet lemonade-style scene, a la HigherSilver's "String Theory" fic. But it's a lemon scene, nonetheless. And there'll also be a little graphic death scene ahead. Again, these are just plans, I might not follow them. My decision will depend on the thoughts I have when I get back home. So, I just thought you should know.

And now, to conclude this chapter, I would like to introduce you to a little **SNEAK PEEK AND TEASER TRAILER** to a story that I plan on publishing after I complete this one! I know I promised woodland5 that I would post the story that she suggested during my fanfiction contest, but this came to me and intrigued me a lot, so I'm very sorry, woodland5, but it appears that your story is gonna have to wait for a little. I promise, though, I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT!

Now, we begin...

* * *

**SNEAK PEEK**

The Word History class walked through the Danville Museum of Natural History, their tour guide leading them into a Chinese exhibit.

"In ancient China," the guide said, "the citizens relied on myths and principles dictated by Taoism to provide explanations for a wide variety of natural phenomena, one of the subjects of such being cosmology, most notably the structure of the cosmos. This conceptual scheme was called Wu Xing."

The tour guide led them to the center of the exhibit towards an ancient drawing that was hanging on a wall. Depicted on the drawing was a symbol that looked rather complicated in nature. It was a circle whose perimeter held five smaller, differently-colored circles that depicted sketches of a certain creature each: a green dragon, a red bird, a yellow dragon, a white tiger, and a black tortoise with a black snake coiled around it. Inside the circle was a star whose five points were each connected to one of the smaller circles. Some students gaped in awe at the symbol, but most of them didn't relent in expressing their boredom.

"The central, and the most important, components of Wu Xing is the aptly-titled Five Elements, which consist of the Expansive Earth, the Ascending Fire, the Stabilizing Earth, the Contracting Metal, and the Descending Water. Each are represented by many different things in life: shapes, cardinal directions, planets, etc. And with these representations comes the significance they have in explaining the cosmos.

"But probably the most important representation given to each of the Five Elements is the heavenly creature, which is slated to govern the powers and properties of their respective Element. These five creatures can be considered as gods to the ancient Chinese.

"The green dragon, the Azure Dragon of the East, or Qinglong, represents the Element of Wood.

"The red bird, the Vermilion Bird of the South, or Zhuque, represents the Element of Fire.

"The white tiger, appropriately named the White Tiger of the West, or Baihu, represents the Element of Metal.

"The black tortoise and snake, simply named the Black Tortoise of the North, or Xuanwu, represent the Element of Water.

"And finally, the yellow dragon, known only as Huang Long, represents the Element of Earth and is the center of the other four Elements, practically their leader.

"Together, these five creatures govern the Five Elements, possibly one of the greatest concepts to come out of the culture of the ancient Chinese!"

The guide spoke his address with a rather unusual amount of dramatic flair, looking rather excited and jubilant in explaining Wu Xing to his group. Many of the visitors began taking photos of the symbol, Baljeet included. However, Buford issued a fallacious yawn.

"You paid your money and dragged the class here for _this_, 'Jeet?" he asked.

"Come on, Byoof, this is actually interesting!" Phineas exclaimed as he examined the symbol closely while Isabella lovingly leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Interesting, my ass. All I'm hearing is crap-talk about some civilization that died out a billion years ago! Why should we care about their so-called accomplishments?"

"It's called keeping the culture alive, Byoof," Django said. "If you founded a new and revolutionary way of football, wouldn't you want it to last through the ages?"

"Of course, but why would people wanna keep _this_ alive? What good will this Fu Jing thing offer for us? If it's a crap-load of hamburgers, then I'll be in!"

* * *

**TEASER TRAILER**

"What you're about to see is classified super-top-secret," Monogram said. "If you say a single word about this, or make a post about it on Headpage, or even issue a simple sound-byte about it, we're hauling all of your butts into a place where you'll never see a fraction of daylight for the rest of your lives. Understand?"

Phineas, Ferb, and the others nodded.

_**This summer...**_

"Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, I presume?" the man asked.

"Uh, yeah, that's me..." replied the evil scientist warily as he looked around in the room he was in. "If it's my Evil Money that you're after, then it's all stashed away in my account at the secret LOVEMUFFIN headquarters at Danville Arena... Oops, not so secret now, huh?" He chuckled nervously.

"We don't want your money. We only ask for your pledge of assistance."

Doofenshmirtz raised an eyebrow. "Assistance? For what?"

The man smirked. "Ever raise the dead before?"

"Why, yes, many times before! Accursed Perry the Platypus always defeats me, though, and makes the undead become dead again!"

The man blinked in confusion. "Who?"

"You haven't heard of Perry the Platypus? He's a semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammal of action!"

...

"No."

_**...an ancient evil rises.**_

An army of medieval warriors charged down the streets of downtown Danville, issuing battle cries born from the depths of Hell.

"Not again, not again!" a man shouted.

"MY WATERMELON!" screamed a woman.

_**Now, **__**the fate of the world relies...**_

The DEI building issued a beam of violet energy into the sky as civilians watched in horror.

_**...upon a group of teenagers.**_

"Aren't you a little too _young_ to be saving the world?" an OWCA superior asked.

"Yes, yes we are," Ferb replied.

_**Phineas.**_

Phineas fired from his palm a beam of lava, incinerating a number of warriors that were attempting to apprehend Isabella.

"PHINEAS!" screamed Isabella as she hugged him and kissed him full on the lips. "MY GOD, THAT WAS SO **HOT**!"

"Yeah," Phineas replied, shocked by what he just did, "and in more ways than one."

_**Ferb.**_

Ferb held out his arms, just as several warriors were ensnared by vines. He then shot a spray of acid at a steel vault, melting a hole in its frame.

_**Isabella.**_

"It is hot today, boys," Isabella said as she stood on a beach. "Have a drink!"

A tsunami appeared right behind her and crashed down upon an army of warriors charging her, sweeping them away, but the water parted way for her so she could be left untouched by the violent torrent of water. She smiled triumphantly.

_**Buford.**_

"TASTE FISTS OF GLORIOUS METAL, BOYS!" roared Buford as he transformed his fists into metal hammers, which he used to attack a horde of warriors charging him.

_**And...uh...and...wait, wait a minute, who's this?**_

"GODDAMN IT, MY NAME IS- OOF!" A teenage boy was felled by a warrior before he could strike him down.

_**It is technology...**_

All of Phineas and Ferb's Big Ideas, manned by the children of Danville and the OWCA agents, stood triumphantly on one side of town.

_**...versus mythology.**_

An army of warriors stood menacingly at the other side.

**LEGEND OF THE FIVE ELEMENTS**

"Do...Do I _know_ you?" asked Doofenshmirtz.

"Should you?" replied Doofus Khan.

"...I don't think so."

_**The legend comes to life...**_

A green dragon, a red bird, a white tiger, and a black tortoise with a black snake coiled around it fought savagely through the streets of Danville.

Just then, a light appeared, followed by a loud roar.

_**...this summer.**_

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE (AGAIN)**

So, this is the new story I have! Yes, it incorporates "Doof Dynasty" into the mix, and yes, it involves the Five Elements, a plot device I've attempted to use in a couple of my stories. It should be still present in the "Evil Phineas Rewrite Trilogy", but I'm not sure about that yet. This thing should be up as soon as I finish this one! It will be a badass story full of action, romance, a whole lot of philosophical stuff, family matters, and drama, all worthy of "Evil Phineas"-style material! :D

Now, here's some more good news! Would you like an OC of yours to be involved in this war that spans two civilizations? Then here's your chance! Make an OC for me to include in this story! Be warned, though, I will have to modify the OCs' personalities so then they can be compatible to the story. Either leave it in your review or just send a PM to me describing the character! Have fun!

Here is the criteria I wanna see be met:

**Name (of course)**

**Family (could be important)**

**Gender (just in case, but it really shouldn't be necessary)**

**Physical description (OF COURSE!)**

**Personality (it can be anything, as long as it fits somehow into the story)**

**Age (must be around Phineas and Ferb's ages!)**

**Romances (it'll be essential to the story!)**

**Absolutely DO NOT make it that mysterious teenage boy who is alongside Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, and Buford in saving the world! NO EXCUSES! I already have an identity and all the other stuff planned out for him...**

Well, this is probably the longest Author's Note I've ever written! All of this should keep everyone going until I get back from my road trip.

So, remember guys, vote on my poll, and create an OC for me if you've got one! All creds go to you! :D

Enjoy yourselves, everyone! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!

**P.S.:** My apologies if you thought that this'd be another chapter. Sorry!


	54. My Last Moment

**A/N:** Alright, everyone, I have good news and bad news.

The good news is that I am back from my vacation in the Southwest, and I am ready to dish out the newest chapter of this haunting yet terrific story! This chapter should provide further insight of Adyson's hallucination, as well as explanations to certain elements of it.

The bad news is that I have to announce the sad loss of 19 firefighters in the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona. I honestly couldn't believe my eyes the moment I heard the story break on my TV set. So, pray for these brave men and their families. And let's hope that the fire gets extinguished quickly!

Okay, on with the chapter! ENJOY! If you can...

* * *

_**April 30, 2015  
2 months, 18 days prior to the massacre**_

Adyson couldn't believe her luck today. Just a few seconds ago, Django Brown, the boy she had a crazy crush on since kindergarten, had just asked her out on a _date_! She just wanted to let out all of her innermost joy, unleash it upon the world like a powerful force. It was as if her body couldn't handle containing it all as it continued to mount. The teenage girl struggled with all of the might possible to keep herself from issuing a joyous, happy yell.

Giggling excitedly, she sprinted into the living room where she left Ben and Ferb. Both appeared to be talking about something, but they became silent the moment she returned to the room. Adyson retrieved the camera that she used to record her daily activities with her family and friends, aiming it at the two boys.

"Guess what, guys?" she asked.

"What, Addie?" replied Ben.

"Django asked me out on a date!" Unable to hold in her excitement, Adyson squealed. Then, an idea suddenly hit her head. "Oh, I gotta tell the other girls about this!" She began frantically dialing a number on the cell phone she was still holding.

Just then, Ben asked, "Addie, why do you _like_ Django?"

Adyson looked up at her cousin, just as Ferb abruptly stood up and left the room. Briefly surprised by Ben's question, she shrugged it off.

"Well, ever since I first saw him in kindergarten, I thought he was the cutest thing ever, and I had a crush on him ever since!" she replied. She then squealed again.

Then, to her surprise, Ben spoke again, and the upset tone was evident.

"What's he ever done to _you_ to show his love for you?"

"Um, he danced with me during Katie's Valentine's Day party, that's what he did."

Ben's eyes narrowed slightly. "Anything _else_ in particular?"

"He admires my art, despite the fact that it's obviously terrible." Adyson stared at Ben suspiciously. She was sensing his current attitude and knew what could happen, so she tread carefully. "Ben, why're you so hostile towards Django? He's done nothing to you."

"I just..." Ben suddenly hesitated for a moment. "I just don't _like_ him."

Adyson frowned. "Ben, you worry me. You're just like your previous self, before you went to the mental health facility. If there's anything wrong, please tell me."

"Nothing's wrong with me, all right?!" shouted Ben in response.

Silence quickly followed Ben's outburst. In her mind, Adyson sighed. Then, the gears of her brain began to move as she tried to deduce the probable cause behind her beloved cousin's current behavior. Just then, something clicked into place. It all made sense, she thought!

"I think I know the problem," she said.

Ben looked surprised. "What? You do?" he asked.

"Yep. I think you need a girlfriend." She didn't notice it, but a bright scarlet appeared on Ben's cheeks. "I'm gonna call Katie, see if we can start with her."

Ben's skin turned pale as Adyson set the camera down on a nearby table and began dialing a different number. "Um, you don't need to do that, Addie," he said.

"But everyone else we know has a boyfriend or girlfriend," Adyson replied modestly, not looking up from her phone. "Well, except for Phineas, Isabella, and Katie. But we all know Phinabella shall triumph, so let's start with Katie. Come on, Ben, maybe you need someone to love you."

"I've already got someone who loves me."

Adyson looked up, surprised. "Really? Who's that?"

"You, of course!"

Adyson smiled. "Aw, that's sweet, Ben! But I'm talking of a more _serious_ love. _Romantic_ love."

She resumed dialing the number, but Ben suddenly stood up and shut off her cell phone, much to her shock. "NO!" he shouted.

"_No_? What d'you mean 'no'?" Adyson asked, surprised.

This time, she noticed the blush in Ben's cheeks as he stammered, "I...I...I-I...I...I, uh...I..."

Adyson's impatience was beginning to grow. "Well, Ben?" she demanded. "Spit it out already."

"I...I..." Ben suddenly turned calm and implacable. "DAMN IT!"

Before she can speak any further, Ben suddenly and quickly grabbed her and, to her absolute surprise and horror, _kissed_ her full on the _mouth_, using all of the force he can muster. Finally, after a minute or so passed (to Adyson, however, it felt like an _eternity_), Ben broke away and looked into her eyes deeply. She was flabbergasted by what had just happened. The kiss had rendered her paralyzed and unable to make a reaction.

"I love you, Adyson," Ben admitted.

It was briefly silent. During that time, Adyson dropped her cell phone in horror, still paralyzed. A look of fear flooded Ben's face.

"Addie?"

Finally, reality caught up with the teenage girl. "Oh my God...oh my _God_..." She touched her lips, shocked. "_Ben_..."

"I've always loved you, Addie-" began Ben, but...

"AGH! GET AWAY FROM ME, BEN!" she screeched. "MY **GOD**!"

Adyson ran out of the room as fast as she could, past Ferb, towards the staircase.

"No, Addie!" Ben shouted.

But Adyson didn't stop for Ben; she continued running up the staircase, horrified and revolted by what had just happened. From a proposal for a date given by Django, her longtime crush, to getting kissed by _her own cousin_... The day had definitely went down the drain so fast...

She could hear Ben running after her, but she didn't stop. Once she reached her bedroom, Adyson tried closing the door on Ben, but he was able to catch up with her and quickly forced his way into the room, causing her to fall to the floor. Ben bent over to try and help her up, but Adyson screamed in disgust and scrambled away.

"Adyson-" began Ben.

"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU MONSTER!" Adyson shrieked.

Ben looked as if he was punched in the stomach. "Addie..._Addie_..." Tears began to flow down his face, and he collapsed on the bed that belonged to him in defeat. "Oh, God, what have I DONE?! WHAT HAVE I DONE?! Oh, Addie, I'm so, so, _so sorry_..."

Adyson slowly stood up, watching as her cousin cried his lungs out. Pity began to mingle with the disgust and horror, and she reluctantly sat next to Ben.

"Ben... Is _this_ why you've been acting strangely every time you're around me? ...You..._like_ me?" She shuddered briefly, but Ben didn't notice.

"Addie..." he replied, sniffling as he sat up. "You were the only person who gave a crap about me!"

"That's not true! Everyone loved you, Ben, and everyone showed their support when you lost your parents!"

"Nevertheless, every time I woke up, I woke up to your smiling face, your morals that there's a bright side to everything, your likable tomboyish attitude, your devotion and passion for others, your..._EVERYTHING_! It was never that mental facility that fixed me; it was _you_, the entire time! I love you, Addie, and...and...it's okay if you don't love me back; I just want you to know that. The thing I hope for right now is that we can stay friends. You don't deserve to have your own cousin as a boyfriend..."

Adyson pursed her lips, feeling all of the horror disappear, being fully dominated by the pity...and...a strange _bubbly_ feeling in her stomach. Ben's monologue seemed to tear a hole into her heart, and seemingly flowing out of it was this great, unimaginable amount of compassion towards him... He had just expressed everything he had ever felt to her, and for some reason, she felt bad for letting him down. She promised to herself that she'd do everything to make her cousin feel better, to help him in getting through the tragedy that shredded his life to pieces...and yet, the only thing that was rendering her promise impractical, a hollow one, was _herself_...

Ben sniffled again, looking away from Adyson. Pitifully, she hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest. Briefly surprised, he then recovered and hugged her back. They remained in this position for a few minutes, still locked onto each other.

Just then, Adyson shifted her head a little and absentmindedly kissed Ben's neck. Surprised by the kiss, Ben felt his hormones take control and easily submitted to their will; he responded by kissing her scalp, feeling the smoothness of her lush brown hair brush against his lips.

They then broke the hug, realizing what they had just done. Adyson bit her lip, unable to comprehend the path her hormones were taking her. She knew Ben was her cousin, and that incest was taboo, but feelings were rising up in her gut, feelings that seemed ancient for some reason...

Before she knew it, she had quickly kissed Ben's cheek. Her shimmering green eyes met Ben's surprised ones, and the moment the two pairs met, something seemed to click between them with the force of a bomb. A split-second later, Adyson and Ben were kissing, very heatedly and passionately, all thoughts about the rationality (and legality) of their actions unable to penetrate their minds. The world seemed to disappear to them.

The two fell on the bed, still kissing. The hour that followed would never be known to anyone, for it seemed to occur a world away. It was just them, together.

And that was when the madness began.

* * *

_**June 10, 2016  
6 days**_

It had been five days since she was admitted to a psychiatric facility. Adyson looked up at the ceiling of the room that was to be hers for God-knows-how-long. It was cracked and the paint was peeling away. She let out a sigh of content that would surprise anyone else. Ever since the hallucination of Ben revealed to her the truth of her recently-unstable mind, all other emotions just seemed to escape her.

According to her parents, ever since Ferb was arrested, she had begun acting erratically, refusing interaction from everyone. Then, the day before she was admitted to the facility, she began running around town, wearing a Guy Fawkes mask that belonged to her mother, screaming nonsense, and stalking people at complete random, both known to her or merely complete strangers. That was when her parents knew that there was something wrong with her and admitted her to the facility, where it was concluded that she had gone insane. She had been rotting in this room since.

Adyson received visits regularly. Her parents, Joyce, and her Aunt Allison visited most frequently, trying to offer her their condolences and their deepest hopes for her to get better, but her mind seemed to block them out now. The same went with Phineas, Django, Katie, and all of the others.

Nobody, nothing mattered to her now. Her mind was living in a different world now: the world she created with Ben on April 30, 2015. When it was just them. For one shining moment, one shining hour, she found true love. It had never been about Django. It had always been about Ben. She understood that now.

Adyson slowly glanced at the table, where the note she had written was lying on. Lying next to it was the makeshift razor. The facility was so dilapidated that it gave her the proper items for making the blade. She sighed longingly and then absentmindedly inspected her hands, which then placed themselves on her forehead as she began to muse about these final minutes she was currently experiencing.

She regretted doing it. She knew it would hurt everyone who knew her. Just because they didn't matter to her anymore doesn't mean she didn't have the capacity to feel pity and remorse towards them. Adyson began to wonder how everyone would feel once the news broke.

Her parents and Aunt Allison would be shocked, obviously. They had raised her to be better than this, to defy these very thoughts. To know that they had failed _twice_ would be a grave shock of such devastating magnitude. To that, she mentally apologized to them.

The Fireside Girls would all be crying their lungs out. Their longtime friend since childhood, dead by her own hand. It would be truly horrifying to learn. She can imagine Milly, actually an agoraphobic in the present reality, just like her delusion laid out, never even coming out of her bedroom for any reason. She could imagine Holly doing everything she could to ensure that her parents got the best of insurance, since her parents both worked for an insurance company. She could imagine Ginger, living gossip channel, never touching her cell phone or logging onto Headpage once afterwards. She could imagine Gretchen using the biggest of words during a eulogy. And most of all, she could imagine Katie, her best friend, crying over her grave for hours and hours on end, and visiting her family frequently, asking how they were doing. She mentally said goodbye, and the best of luck, to all of them.

Buford would also be greatly affected. The two had been growing closer recently, since Adyson had constantly wished to know what all of the transpiring events meant and the former bully was always there to offer a religious explanation. She knew that he'd be leading her funeral and speaking a dramatic eulogy involving her now in the caring, gentle hands of God, that is, if she managed to make it past the gate (he'd say suicide is a sin). She also mentally gave him a farewell and good luck.

Baljeet, though not close to Adyson, would also feel a great amount of grief out of this. He had started dating Ginger recently, and that'd mean he'd receive a full blow of his new girlfriend's grief. She couldn't help but wish the nerd good luck in his future, confident that it'd be very successful.

She knew Ferb would actually react strongly, emotionally, and explicitly to the news, way out of his usual character. Her suicide would be added to his guiltily-compiled list of deaths that resulted from his failure to report Ben's activities, all because of a mere, simple bout of jealousy directed at Phineas. She mentally told him that all of this was never his fault; none of it could have been prevented even if anyone tried. As Buford would say, it'd be God's natural order of things.

Phineas. Oh, Phineas. How many more times does his optimism have to be shattered? She hoped to the heavens that her suicide wouldn't be his new breaking point. She knew very well that the inventor didn't deserve it, and she mentally apologized to him, and also hoped that he wouldn't invent a device that would bring her back from the dead. Adyson knew well that the dead deserved to stay dead.

Django would probably the second-most devastated. She knew he loved her, and even if she truly loved Ben, there was a side of her that loved the artist. She knew it will haunt him to the end of his life. All that she hoped for was that it wouldn't affect his future. She could imagine him becoming the world's best artist of this current generation, the Leonardo da Vinci of the 21st century. She sincerely hoped for it to happen, and for that, she mentally wished him luck.

...

Joyce.

Tears flowed down Adyson's cheeks as she thought about her younger sister, no longer so young.

"Addie?"

Without looking at her side, Adyson replied, "Yes, Joyce?"

"Why are you looking so sad?"

"Well, truth is, Joyce, that I'm gonna be going away. Permanently."

"Why, Addie? I'm gonna miss you!"

Adyson smiled slightly and looked down at her younger sister, only to be greeted with a surprising sight. Sitting next to her was _herself_..._  
_

But her sad smile widened. Everyone had always said Joyce looked a lot like her. She was proud to hear that statement every time.

"I just don't feel like I belong to the world anymore. Everything feels so disconnected. Besides, Ben's waiting for me. I've gotta go..."

"Then let me come with you!" said Joyce, still using her five-year-old voice.

Adyson shut her eyes and looked away. "I'm sorry, Joyce, I'm afraid I can't do that. Goodbye. I love you so much. Don't let anything bring you down, no matter what."

There was no response. Adyson opened her eyes, stood up from her bed, and entered the bathroom, staring at her reflection in the mirror that was there. Her brown hair was messy and overlong, her eyes were wide and bloodshot, and her rosy skin was now pale. She looked exactly like Ben when he went to the mental facility.

She walked out of the bathroom, retrieved the makeshift razor, and sat back down on the bed. Adyson took a deep breath as she held the razor against her left wrist. The tick-tocking of the clock that was hanging above the door of her room was the only sound in the room. It was the perfect countdown to her ultimate death.

Adyson felt scared. But then, she thought of Ben. The rest was easy.

And that was when the madness ended.

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, this was the lemon scene and the graphic death scene I warned you about. However, since a majority of voters on my poll said 'No' to making "Midsummer Tragedy" rated M, I decided to follow their request since I don't even have the guts to write both.

So, Adyson has committed suicide. That is right, it happened. That is what I have planned all along. So, if you guys have a problem with what I did, then TOO BAD. But if it makes you any better, I cried the entire time I wrote the last part.

And now that Adyson is dead, this leads us into the PENULTIMATE CHAPTER OF THE STORY! **FINALLY**! In this chapter, all loose ends will be cleared up, we'll see how everyone's reacting to Adyson's suicide, and the events of the first anniversary of the massacre. And then, the last chapter will be, of course, an epilogue.

Onto a lighter subject, I would like to say that I am very pleased with the response to the latest Author's Note! Everyone's submitted such great OCs, and all of them are going into the story, hands down! Although, a couple have submitted animal OCs, and I'm afraid that they're not accepted. I put all the blame on me, though, since I wasn't all that specific enough as to whether the OCs should be human or not. Sorry.

Usually, I'd thank and respond to reviewers, but I don't feel into it right now. Another sorry.

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE TO THE WORLD!


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